Double Trouble
by Shadowz
Summary: Sequel to Second Chance. Two vampires, Laurel and Thomas, have arrived in Sunnydale with big plans for old friends. Top that off with an escaped spirit, and our heroes have big problems...
1. Welcome To The Hellmouth

A/N: DO NOT SKIP THIS NOTE! YOU MUST READ IT FIRST! Ahem. Hello. What I must warn you is that this fic, Double Trouble, is a sequel to one of my other fics. Therefore, I strongly suggest that you go and read 'Second Chance', also by me (obviously), as that is the first part in the series. You won't understand this if you don't. It's about a girl by the name of Gracia McCormack, called as the Slayer after Faith's death in 2008, who has a very interesting past...so like I said, go read Second Chance first. Please.  
  
Disclaimer: Right, down to business. I don't own any aspects of Buffy the Vampire Slayer- that lovely right belongs to the evil, sadistic hellgod we call Joss Whedon. However, anything you don't recognise (i.e. characters, plotlines, ideas, etc.) is mine, and therefore you can't sue me! ;-P  
  
Dedication: This is for all of the people who read and reviewed Second Chance. You guys rock! Especial thanks and dedications to FanFreak, Akarui Kibuno and Critic, as well as anyone else I missed that I meant to mention!   
  
Setting: Sunnydale, 2009- a few months after the events of 'Second Chance'.  
  
  
The tall guy with the brown hair was both amazed and annoyed by the blonde girl's boring, ceaseless chatter.  
  
What was her name again? Donna? Marie? Gabby? Yes, that was it. Gabby. Not that it mattered- soon she would have no need for a name, or any other details.  
  
Soon she would enter the eternal sleep.  
  
The guy, whose name was Danny, had to fight down the impulsive grin emerging on his lips. They were getting steadily further away from the local nightclub known as the Bronze, and now no one at all would notice her murder and his meal.  
  
Danny slowed a bit so that he was just behind Gabby. Gabby, immersed in her brainless gossip about some girl at her school, didn't notice until he stopped her by putting his hands on her arms. He could sense her smile, but she couldn't sense him vamping out.  
  
"Shh." he hushed, tightening his hold on her and leaning closer to her neck.  
  
"Danny, not here," she replied laughingly, and looked up into the face of a demon.  
  
A scream caught in her throat.  
  
His fangs were just about to pierce her neck when a voice full of deadly calm rang out.  
  
"Drop her."  
  
Danny whipped around, still clutching the terrified Gabby, to see a self-assured girl watching his every move with cold, dark-brown eyes. He let go of his prey, and she crumpled to a sobbing, gasping heap at his feet. He didn't even need his vampiric senses to know who this newcomer was.  
  
"Slayer." he hissed, pacing a little closer.  
  
The girl shrugged with a small smile, pushing her plait of long dark hair behind her shoulder. "I prefer Gracia really, seems more friendly, but whatever."  
  
With a roar, Danny charged at the Slayer, but she vaulted over his head. He turned just as her foot lashed out in a roundhouse kick at his chest. He cried out in pain, but took hold of her ankle and flipped her to the ground.  
  
"Luke, Keisha, get her out of here!" the Slayer yelled suddenly.  
  
Out of the corner of his eye, Danny saw a tall boy and a small girl, both about the same age as the Slayer, run up Gabby, help her to her feet, and half carry, hald drag, her out of the danger. He didn't care. His prey might have escaped, but it had been replaced with a much more tantalizing victim. He prowled closer and she looked up at him helplessly. Danny couldn't help but laugh-  
  
Until the Slayer called Gracia grabbed his foot and pulled hard so that his legs were taken from under him and he fell sharply onto his back.  
  
She got to her feet in a single, fluid movement, and yanked him upright. Gripping his shoulders, she rammed his head as hard as she could into the brick wall next to them. He staggered dazedly out of her grasp, shaking his head to clear his swimming vision, and lashed out at her blindly.  
  
Gracia wasn't quick enough to duck the cold hand that grabbed her neck impossibly hard.  
  
Danny twisted her around and slammed her back into the wall. She choked as the breath was crushed in her windpipe. He grinned as she glared, wriggling and clawing at his hands in a futile bid to escape. He had her exactly where he wanted her. Danny leaned in to sink his fangs into her exposed neck.  
  
Suddenly, a strong pair of hands descended onto his shoulders and wrenched him away from his grasp on the suffocating teenager.  
  
"I wouldn't do that to my sister if I were you."  
  
Danny found himself unable to lash back at the person, and didn't see who it was until the recovering Slayer kicked him hard enough to send him flying from the grip of the currently unknown assailant in a staggering spin.  
  
Then he knew.  
  
The vamped-out face. The dark clothes. The assured voice.  
  
"Angelus!" he spat, disgusted at everything about the traitorous, souled vampire.  
  
"It's Angel now." his opponent informed him, then punched him hard across the jaw.  
  
Danny barely had time to reel back from the force of the blow before the Slayer's stake plunged through his heart. He glared at them in a moment of horrified shock before he exploded into dust.  
  
Gracia allowed her stake into drop, massaging her sore throat as she looked up gratefully at Angel, the former Scourge of Europe and her big brother.  
  
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The car pulled up slowly just outside the boundries of Sunnydale and the blacked out window of the front passenger seat slowly wound down.  
  
A face appeared, disappointment and slight scorn playing over the pale features. It was a girl, of probably not more than nineteen years old.  
  
"This is it?" she asked with a snort. "THIS is Sunnydale?"  
  
"That's what the sign says." Came a dry replying voice, a male voice.  
  
The girl looked around with dark blue eyes and snorted again. "Doesn't look much, does it?"  
  
"I guess that's the thing about it. nobody suspects anything. Just like that village in Spain with those demons, remember?"  
  
She frowned slightly. "When?"  
  
"About...oh, must've been a good fifty years ago now."  
  
After a second, she replied. "Oh yeah." Her face brightened. "I remember now. that was a laugh."  
  
"Mmm. So you see, don't always judge by first impressions."  
  
She pulled back into the car, leaning back in her seat, and looked at the driver. "So, what's our first act gonna be on the Hellmouth?"  
  
He grinned. "Let's pay a visit to an old...friend, shall we?"  
  
The girl laughed as the window slid back up and the car sped off into town.  
  
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So long...  
  
She'd been here so long...  
  
Days and months were muddled; years and decades had merged, until all she had was a mass of anguished confusion, stretching back...centuries...  
  
She wept but no one heard. She mourned yet no one saw.  
  
She'd been here so long...  
  
And would likely be here even longer...  
  
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Soo...whadda ya reckon so far? Good? Bad? Intriguing? Boring? If you didn't understand cause you didn't read Second Chance, once again I advise you to READ IT QUICK! I can't explain everything that happened in an author's note, not without leaving a few things out.   
  
So anyways, please review and the next chapter should be up soon! 


	2. Old Acquaintances

A/N: Booyah! Second chapter! Yahoo! Ahem, anyways, I have to pose the question to you again (as I did in the epilogue of Second Chance, but NO ONE REPLIED TO! **Joking glares at reviewers**): Who should now be Gracia's Watcher now that Cecelia's...ahem. A new character or...someone else? Please review and tell me. Now on with the show!  
  
Disclaimer: **Glances nervously around** Uhh...it all belongs to the fantabulous Joss Whedon, who might wanna get that gun away from my head now. I do own some things, go figure what they are!  
  
Dedication: All the reviewers of the first chapter!  
  
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Damn T.V. It was playing up again, the picture jumping and the sound buzzing. Spike thumped a fist down on top of it, muttering darkly about certain T.V. salesmen finding half their families dead as payback. He'd just about had it with the set and was severely disappointed that it was a threat he couldn't carry out.  
  
Some day, he promised himself, I'll get my hands on that idiot who put the chip in my brain and rip their throat out.  
  
He knew it would never happen.  
  
So at first, he thought that the banging was just an echo of the noise he was making. You never knew with this crypt. Then he realised that someone was at the entrance.  
  
Now that surprised him. And made him wary. Nobody came to his crypt, although those that did didn't bother wasting time by knocking when they could just burst in to try to beat the living snot out of him. He made his way over, wondering if it was the Slayer, and opened the door.  
  
Standing there, alone in the night, was a girl of about nineteen. A very pretty girl, dressed in black trousers and a tight, revealing blue top. A girl whose impossibly pale skin showed a ghostly contrast to her dark blue eyes and long, silky black hair.  
  
He knew instantly that she was a vampire. But not only that. He knew her from somewhere else. Even though he couldn't remember where from...  
  
"Isn't it a bit late for a schoolgirl like you to be wandering the streets?" he sneered, almost making to close the door.  
  
The girl cocked her head and peered at him in confusion through her long eyelashes.  
  
"Not really. I'm no schoolgirl, Spike, if your memory is still working." she said. She straightened up. And then he knew.  
  
"Laurel," he hissed. "Been a while. You've changed a lot."  
  
She grinned at this and bobbed something like a curtsey, although her eyes and tone stayed hostile. "Seventy years or so and you expected me to be the same? Get real Spike. And you're not the same either. I heard what you've been up to."  
  
With a sudden burst of strength she grabbed his wrist and swung him around so that he was facing her and her back was to the crypt door.  
  
He heard a small thud of landing behind him and, before he could react, a strong arm twisted his own up behind his back. Another caught him in a painful headlock, forcing him to look up at the face of a male vampire identical in a lot of ways to Laurel. His vamp face was on, and so, he realised, was Laurel's, when he caught sight of her.  
  
"Hello to you as well, Thomas," Spike bit off. "So nice of you both to drop by for a social visit. Or is there some other reason you've suddenly shown up?"  
  
"Go with the latter." Thomas growled. "We came because we heard something about you changing sides."  
  
"Why was that, Spike?" Laurel chided sweetly. "Scared of Slayers now, are we?"  
  
Spike sneered at her, although he knew that he was really in no position to do so. "What's it to you?"  
  
OK, he thought, now that was really lame...  
  
Thomas put his face closer to Spike's. "Really, Spike, we're ashamed to call you our Sire. Now answer Laurel's question." His grip tightened on Spike's neck as if to add 'or else'.  
  
"Call it survival skills." Spike answered. He struggled slightly against the vampire's grip, but to no avail. "So, why the hell are you here?"  
  
Laurel loomed over him with her normal face back on, her pretty but sinister smile playing on her lips.  
  
"Just to say hi," she cooed. "And tell you this is our town now."  
  
"First on our list is the Slayer," Thomas whispered harshly. "Next is you."  
  
He released Spike and pushed him to the ground roughly. His face too morphed, into that of a handsome dark-haired boy. He turned away. "C'mon Laurie. Let's go." He started to walk.  
  
Laurel went to follow, but paused to sneer down at her Sire. "See ya 'round Spike. Next time with weapons." Chuckling, she ran to catch up with her twin.  
  
Spike watched them go, seething as he got up and dusted himself off. Next time, he would catch them by surprise and have the upper hand. He had to- he was obviously slipping.  
  
He went in, slammed the door behind him, and lit himself a cigarette. Ignoring the broken television, he sat down and took a deep drag, lost in thought.  
  
Things are gonna get interesting for that damn Slayer.  
  
Very interesting.  
  
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Well, what d'ya think? I had to add a Spike chapter soon! I mean, he is one of the (if not the) best Buffy characters around. So...intrigued to read on? ;-D Lol. Review please and tell me! 


	3. Watchers and Worries

A/N: Well, here's chapter three for ya! Sorry it took a while, but I really did need answers to that question bout Gracia's Watcher to continue. So thanks for your reviews and I hope you enjoy this! And FanFreak- I really liked your first suggestion (damn your copyright laws!), as well as the second, and no, I'm not Joss Whedon. At least...I HOPE I'm not...lol!  
  
Disclaimer: I'd be rich if I owned Buffy. As it is, my worldly wealth amounts to 23 pence, a borrowed copy of Final Fantasy 8, and an Angel poster. **wails**  
  
Dedication: My friend Lil' Smartass (formerly Stumpy), for when you finally join ff.n!  
  
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Attention spans in Sunnydale Highschool were notoriously shortlived- not least in Mr. Morgan's history class on a sunny Friday morning.  
  
Gracia McCormack slumped in her seat halfway back from the front of the room where the elderly man was droning on and seriously considered catching up on a few hours of the sleep her career as the Chosen One stole from her.  
  
Occupying the two desks to her left, Gracia could see that her two best friends were thinking along similar lines. Luke and Keisha Goldsmith were twins, the two outcasts who had befriended Gracia when she had first moved to Sunnydale about four months ago. To look at them, you wouldn't immediately realise that they were related- Luke was tall and blonde, whereas Keisha had reddish-brown hair and was built around a smaller frame. The only blatant link was their eyes- identical mixes of green and blue.  
  
If being the Slayer wasn't enough, Gracia had more of a past than this life. She had originally been born in 1737 as Grace McCormick...a younger sister of a man called Liam who would later become Angelus, the Scourge of Europe...  
  
So when the Powers That Be had sent Angel to meet the new Slayer in a Sunnydale graveyard three months after Faith's death in 2008, it had been a shock (to say the least) to find out that the sister he had killed so brutally had been reborn, and was now sixteen years old and a Slayer.  
  
She hadn't exactly had an easy time of it when she first arrived on the Hellmouth, after immigrating from Belfast with the parents who had adopted her at the age of five, as well as their younger daughter- her adoptive sister. A vampire cult had been out to resurrect the Anointed One in a ritual involving very dark magick and the loss of her life. Of course, it didn't help that her own Watcher, the cold and hostile Cecelia Rees, had chosen to betray her in order to escape the death Fate had planned for her by cancer by becoming a vampire.  
  
But now the cult had been wiped out, and Cecelia had killed herself by jumping from a balcony. Gracia had a new Watcher now, under whose helpful tutelage she was really beginning to suceed.  
  
Things were looking up.  
  
A small nude at her side made her look around sharply. Keisha grinned at her and slipped her a small, folded piece of paper. Gracia returned the smile and unfolded the note.  
  
"You! There!"  
  
Both girls looked up quickly to see that the teacher, and now quite a few people in the rows in front, looking straight at them. Or rather, one of them.  
  
"You! The girl with the brown hair!" the man said sharply, pointing straight at Keisha.  
  
"Me?"  
  
"Yes, you. What's your name?"  
  
"Keisha." she replied, somewhat hesitantly. The cheerleaders at the back of the room giggled, which Mr. Morgan conveniently didn't hear.   
  
"You are not to pass notes in my classroom! For that, you can go off and get the textbooks for the lesson. They're the thick red ones called 'Wars Of The Last Century' You should find them in the store cupboard down the corridor. Be quick, or you might get a more severe punishment."  
  
Keisha kept her lips tightly pressed together against the sarcastic reply she was dying to shoot back as she scraped her chair and stood up. Luke gave her a sympathetic look (which sure was a rarity from him), and Gracia mouthed 'Sorry!' as the airhead patrol sniggered again. With a defiant glance at the teacher, she quickly exited, making sure that the door swung shut abruptly behind her.  
  
The corridor was deserted as Keisha stalked up it, tempted to hit a locker or something in her frustration. Damn Mr. Morgan...she wasn't even sure WHY he wanted the textbooks now. There was little more than ten minutes till the end of the lesson, which meant lunch.  
  
Hallelujah, Keisha thought dryly, causing herself to smile a little. Then she even laughed a little, when she realised where she was headed to.  
  
Ooh, the Haunted Store Cupboard...  
  
It was the room of Sunnydale Highschool that people were most reluctant to go in. Somebody, probably right back when the school had been rebuilt after the class of 1999 destroyed it, had started a rumor of some type of ghost in the room. That rumor had grown into a story, which had eventually evolved into a legend that most people probably took for fact, however much they sneered at it. Of course, it was all to cliché for Keisha to really believe it- all cold air and flying objects. She giggled again quietly as she eventually reached her destination and pushed open the door.  
  
The room ahead was small, lit by the small window opposite the door. Wooden shelves stacked with school equipment, supplies of paper and piles of textbooks ran along the walls and the air was heavy with a musty smell that made Keisha wrinkle her nose as she stepped in. She shivered involuntarily- it seemed that whoever created the story of the ghost had the cold factor right.   
  
Well, she decided, it's not like this room is probably heated or anything...  
  
She continued through the room, glancing around nonchalantly, wondering where the books were. She passed row after row and stack after stack of stationery, seriously uninterested in everything there. Half of her was tempted to just leave, even though the other half reminded her that the teacher wouldn't like that too much. She supposed she'd just stick it out until she came across a promising sighting.  
  
BANG!  
  
Keisha let out a small shriek and spun around to see...the door. Now shut. She breathed hard, trying to calm her heart, which was thudding against her ribs with all the force of a sledge hammer.  
  
Just a draught, that's all! It was gonna happen no matter what...that's all!  
  
Unfortunately, it reminded her all too much of the the way Gracia's now deceased Watcher had tried to dispose of her, Luke, and the two Wiccan friends of Angel's, Willow and Tara, just to stop them from going after the vampires who had kidnapped Gracia. Cecelia had waited until they had entered one of the science labs to perform a spell, before barricading the door too firmly to open and unscrewing the gas valves for the place. The result had been a precarious escape from the window, in which Angel had had to carry her down as the lack of oxygen had made her pass out.  
  
Well, no one did it this time. Unless it was Cecelia's ghost or something...  
  
The joke backfired really. It worried her that she could have been right. The Hellmouth was not the most predictable of places to live on.  
  
Still, Keisha made herself continue to search for the books, attempting to scrunch herself up so small that a passing spirit might not see her. It wasn't so much the idea of a ghost as the idea of what it might want. Telling her brain to shut up wasn't so easy when she thought that it might be right. Instead, she concentrated on the sound of her footsteps, and on keeping them going.  
  
THUD!  
  
Keisha gasped this time, whirling so fast that she had to grab hold of the lowest shelf to steady herself. Something had landed on the floor opposite where she had been searching.  
  
A red textbook.  
  
Slowly, warily, she approached it, edging as if she thought it was about to bite. She didn't even need to bend to read the clear title imprinted on the cover.  
  
WARS OF THE LAST CENTURY.  
  
"Wow..." she murmured, carefully picking it off of the floor and glancing up to see where it had come from. The third shelf up, and there was a large pile as well. A large, neat pile, that didn't look as though any books would fall from it...  
  
Shut up, brain, she told her mind. It's just coincidence.  
  
Choosing not to think any more of it, she quickly scooped the pile into one arm, leaving a hand free long enough to open the door quickly as she tried to make her speedy exit. Trying to tell herself that she wasn't even slightly freaked out.  
  
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Luke was staring at the clock, counting down the seconds until the bell rang for lunch break.  
  
One hundred and thirty, one hundred and twenty-nine...  
  
At one hundred and twenty seconds until the boredom of History ended, Keisha burst in, carrying a slipping stack of textbooks. Mr. Morgan broke off abruptly from whatever he was talking about to glare at her.  
  
"What took you so long?" he snapped as she set them on his desk.  
  
"Couldn't find them." Luke frowned slightly at this reply. Was it just him, or did she sound a little breathless?  
  
When she headed for her place between himself and Gracia, he was very sure something wasn't right. Keisha was keeping her eyes down, chewing at her lower lip. Heck, something HAD to be wrong! She hadn't even spoken with any sarcasm to one of her least favourite teachers! He kept watching her as she sat down.  
  
"Well, thanks to Miss Goldsmith," the teacher continued. "We won't be able to check the page reference for your projects, which, I shall remind you, are due in this time next week. We'll have to do that at the start of the next lesson." The bell choose to ring at this point, so everybody ignored his words of continuing the projects for their homework in favour of dumping their books in their bags and heading out of the room quickly.  
  
Once out in the corridor, Gracia stretched her arms out. "Thank god that's all over. I was going to go insane if I had to listen to one more word from him."  
  
"Yeah." Luke agreed. Keisha just nodded, which concerned him a little. "Hey, Keish?"  
  
"Hmm?" she asked, looking round at him.  
  
"You OK?" He frowned a little again. "You seem quiet."  
  
She laughed then and punched his arm lightly. "Is that so much of a shock?"  
  
He nodded with an, "Uh-huh.", which made them all laugh as they headed off towards their domain: the library.  
  
The place was just as still and quiet as usual, due to the complete lack of interest that the Sunnydale students had in the extensive volumes kept in this room. Nowadays, Gracia was much more eager to spend her time here, as her new Watcher was also the librarian. At least he was friendlier than Cecelia.  
  
"Hello?" she called jokingly. "Requesting one Watcher!"  
  
A man came out of the office, adjusting his glasses as he did so so that he could see them better. He was quite old, about his fifties, and smartly dressed for work. He smiled slightly.  
  
"Hello, Gracia."  
  
She nodded happily. "Hey Giles."  
  
Rupert Giles was an old friend of Angel's back from the days when a girl called Buffy had been the Slayer- about ten years ago now. When Gracia had confided in Angel that she was having doubts about the security of the Watcher's Council, he had immediately thought of Giles- the most loyal and caring Watcher he knew. Although Giles had had some doubts at first of whether he was the best choice (and also whether he was up to training another Slayer, although he didn't say this), he had come to Sunnydale and decided to take the open job, as both Watcher and librarian. Quentin Travers hadn't agreed initially, demanding that someone younger should be the Slayer's mentor this time, Giles had refused to leave. And so they had had to accept the fact that everybody apart from them was completely happy with the situation.   
  
"So," the Slayer continued. "What's on the agenda for today?"  
  
Giles took off his glasses to polish them on his shirt. "Well, I was hoping that we could continue your work with the quarter staff. You still have to get some more work on your positioning."  
  
Gracia raised her eyebrows slightly but didn't comment apart from, "OK then." She didn't really like working with quarter staffs, but was prepared to anyway. She still was glad that she was learning something more advanced than what she'd done before.  
  
The twins had sat down- Keisha on a chair and Luke on the table. Giles had gone off to retrieve the weapons from the cabinet in his office and Gracia went over to jump up onto the table beside Luke.  
  
"We all Bronzing tonight?" Luke asked. "I overheard in Maths that Bridget's going to be looking out for the lead singer of that band that's on tonight. Couldn't miss a chance to see possible humiliation of one of our enemies today, could we?"  
  
Gracia giggled and aimed a playful slap around his head: unfortunately for Luke, she didn't miss. "You never give up, huh?"  
  
Luke rubbed the back of his head, wincing slightly. "What am I today, human punchbag? First Keisha, now you. And really, save that energy for the vamps.You don't know your own strength sometimes."  
  
"Sorry." She slipped off of the table as Giles emerged and threw a staff to her, which she caught expertly.   
  
This was happiness, Gracia realised as the instructions began. She had great friends, a Watcher that cared, and she was going to be seeing her brother again tonight. Not to mention the fact that, at the moment, everything seemed to be quite peaceful.  
  
She didn't know then, but the peace wouldn't last for long.  
  
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Man! Sorry about the wait...this was abit longer than I expected at first...plus I have been SO busy, what with a whole load of stuff (as well as my HP fanfic, but anyways...). But enough ramblings. Review please, and encourage my to get my backside into the computer chair to type up chapter four. Thanks! 


	4. Bronzing It

A/N: Well, finally I decided to type up chapter four! Please forgive any infrequency in updates- I'm usually really busy during the week, so weekends are the time when I have to catch up on fanfiction.  
  
Disclaimer: The psychiatrist says I should learn to deal with my denial issues, so here it is...**deep breath** I don't own Buffy! **Sobs** There, I said it, you happy now?!  
  
Dedication: FanFreak, the only person who reviewed the last chapter! By the way, loved your spoof fic- lol! Are there gonna be any more chapters? There usually are in these terrible kind of stories...y'know, the whole 'Buffy mourns for Spike' etc. thingy. BTW, all you other people: go read FanFreak's 'Luv in a Alley' to understand what I'm on about. It rocks!  
  
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The Bronze.  
  
It was the same as almost every time Gracia came in: the play of light and shadow across the wall, the chatter and looks under the throb of the music, the crush of too many people on the dance floor.  
  
She glanced around as she slipped in the door, scanning for her friends. She eventually located Luke near the stage where the band were performing, apparently annoying the hell out of Bridget Hadley, the resident airhead leader. Keisha wasn't anywhere to be seen.  
  
Choosing to leave Luke to his fun, she decided to go up onto the balcony-type structure to try to find Keisha. Humming along to the loud song that was being played at the moment, she slowly made her way up the stairs and onto the balcony, leaning against the railing and hugging her elbows as she looked around.  
  
She hadn't been up there even a minute before she heard a familiar voice.  
  
"Slayer."  
  
Gracia smiled and glanced over her shoulder. "Hey Spike. What's up?"  
  
The bleached vampire moved next to her, lighting up a cigarette and taking a drag. "Where's your support group then?"  
  
She laughed slightly and gestured to the lower level. "Down there somewhere. Still looking." She shot him a sideways look. "Haven't seen you in a while. How're you doing?"  
  
He snorted, stubbing out the cigarette on the metal of the railing and flicking the end over it. "Better than you will be, love."  
  
She turned and looked at him properly then, one hand still rested upon the barrier. "What's that supposed to mean?"  
  
He laughed again and stepped past her, leaning down to whisper in her ear, "I guess you'll just have to wait to find out then, pet." Then he straightened with a cocky grin and moved away.  
  
Gracia whipped around as soon as he wasn't so close that it made her head spin. "Spike, just-"  
  
Too late. He wasn't there. Anywhere.  
  
Gracia swore under her breath, wondering how the hell he managed that. Just like Angel does, her mind mused, somewhat irritably. Damn it, damn it, damn it...  
  
"Hey, Gracia!"  
  
She turned abruptly again, eyes darting around until they fell on Luke, standing halfway up the staircase with a huge grin on his face. His good mood was contagious, and she found her frustration at Spike clearing up immediately as she returned the expression and headed down towards him.  
  
"Hi Luke!" They were conversing louder than she had been with Spike, but then Luke didn't have vampiric hearing.   
  
"How long have you been here?" He took her arm by the elbow, gently steering her down the stairs and through some of the clusters of teenagers towards an empty table near the wall. "I didn't see you come in."  
  
"Ah, too busy with Bridget Hadley." she jokingly reprimanded. "Now, what have we-"  
  
"Aw, c'mon Gracia! Like I'm supposed to NOT react when she's on tenterhooks about something! It's like a sin or something."  
  
"And you always were the saintly one, huh?" She giggled as he made a mock-saintly face, hands pressed together as though in prayer. "Hey, where's Keisha anyways?"  
  
"Oh, around." He shrugged nonchalantly. "We came here, I headed to chat with Bridget, Keisha..."  
  
"What about me?"  
  
Luke jumped and spun around, causing Gracia to suppress another giggle at the pretend-shock on his face (which was probably half-real). "Man, Keish, don't do that! You trying to give me a heart attack or somethin'?"  
  
"Well," she said, attempting to look deep in thought. "It might get rid of one problem in my life, so maybe it's not such a bad idea..." She cracked a grin and sat down beside Gracia.   
  
Conversation flowed easily, and Gracia was glad to have the chance to relax. She hadn't seen any odd behaviour that might have hinted at vampiric activity and, even though she'd head off for a patrol later, she didn't expect to see anything. Things had been quiet for so long.  
  
Absorbed in the talk, she didn't notice the man standing next to her until Keisha looked away towards him, then at the table, cheeks starting to redden slightly.  
  
Gracia glanced up quickly, the instinct tension fading instantly as she saw who it was. "Hi Angel."  
  
"Hey Gracey." He called her by her nickname again, as always: the nickname she'd had before- right before. He then looked at the twins and nodded. "Luke, Keisha."  
  
Luke nodded back. Keisha kept her gaze firmly adverted, finding her voice enough for a shy "Hey."  
  
Gracia gestured to one of the empt seats by the table. "Sit down. What's up?"  
  
Angel accepted the offer before saying, "I could ask you the same question."  
  
Gracia blinked. "What do you mean?"  
  
She could see worry lurking in his eyes. "I've seen Spike."  
  
"Oh?" she replied politely, then blinked as realisation hit her. "Oh..."  
  
"He mentioned that he'd spoken to you about something." Angel's tone was questioning. "That was all I really got from him before he took off. I was wondering if he threatened you or something." The last sentence held a tone of the protectiveness which glinted briefly in his eyes, and Keisha glanced up at him for a moment before looking back down.  
  
Gracia shook her head. "No. He wouldn't." Ignoring the slightly disbeliving expression on her brother's face, she continued, "All he said was something about leaving me to find out about something."  
  
"What?" Angel was deadly serious. "He knows something might be after you?"  
  
The Slayer shrugged. "He was probably drunk. That's not unusual."   
  
"Gracey, this could be serious..."  
  
"And it could not be." Gracia bit her tongue as soon as she said it. She hadn't meant to sound so snappish. She took a deep breath at his slightly hurt look. "Sorry. I didn't mean it like that. I'm just saying that...well, if something bad was going to happen, we'd get a sign, right? There'd be more than just Spike saying that."  
  
"Gracia's got a point there." Luke added in, causing everyone to look at him. He shrugged. "I mean that Spike probably isn't the most reliable of sources."  
  
Angel didn't look all that convinced, but knew he'd have to drop it. "Well, be careful. I'll patrol with you tonight."  
  
She nodded- it was better to have someone, anyone, with you. It sure got boring out there sometimes when you were alone with only the newly risen to talk to, and they weren't the best of conversationalists. "Thanks."  
  
The band struck up a new song at that point, one that Gracia had heard a few times before and quite liked. She rose. "I'm gonna go dance. Be back in a minute."  
  
She departed pretty quickly. Luke looked between the silent pair he was sharing the table with: Angel, lost in thought, and Keisha, still extremely interested in the table. A sudden thought struck him and he grinned to himself, before getting up without a word and heading the way Gracia had.  
  
The noise of him doing this caused both the teenager and the vampire to glance up quickly, but he had already gone. They looked at each other uncertainly. Keisha could feel the colour rising in her cheeks and she mentally cursed herself.  
  
Dammit! Why can't I say anything interesting or clever or funny to him...heck, why can't I ever even talk to him?  
  
He gave her his gorgeous half-smile, and Keisha felt her gaze drop again.  
  
Gracia, meanwhile, was lost in the crowds of people on the dance floor, and thoroughly enjoying herself. It was then that she noticed a guy standing near the bar, whose wandering gaze met hers. He smiled and tipped his head as though gesturing for her to come over. She returned the smile and the gesture. With what looked like a laugh and a small shake of his head, hecame over to meet her halfway.  
  
"I was wondering if I'd ever seen you here before." He spoke close to her ear so she could hear him. His voice had a strange quality to it, almost as though his accent didn't quite fit. Not that she, who still had a strong Irish accent, was really one to talk about the subject.  
  
"Maybe." She shrugged, studying him closely. "Depends on how often you come here."  
  
He wasn't that much older than her, nineteen perhaps, with black hair and eyes which she thought were dark blue, although, in the moving shadows of the lighting, it was hard to tell.   
  
"You certainly are noticeable. With a face that pretty, it'd be hard not to be." His voice had a different tone in it now, one she wasn't sure she liked, and it was that which made her step back with a laugh.  
  
"This is some lame come-on, right?" She raised an eyebrow. "You need some more decent lines." Turning to go, she didn't expect him to lay a hand on her arm.  
  
"No, don't go, please." Gracia glanced over her shoulder to see the guy rubbing the back of his neck with one hand. "I...I'm sorry. I didn't mean it to come out like that." His eyes showed a sincerity which made her feel a bit sorry for him, although not enough to fully believe him.  
  
"Whatever." Her voice wasn't unkind. "Just don't try it again." She pulled her arm from his grasp and moved back over the dance floor, even though she heard his last words.  
  
"I hope I'll see you again."   
  
Gracia rolled her eyes at this and carried on, totally missing his wicked grin as he whispered to himself, "I really hope so, Slayer..."  
  
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Guess who? Heheheheh...time to leave you! Leave your reviews by clicking on the button below- let's try to get more than Second Chance did! C'mon, target here! ;-D 


	5. Hunts and Homes

A/N: Guess what, people? I'm ill. Horribly, horribly ill. Last night I started getting these really bad pains in my knees when I was doing stuff (don't twist that, Silvermoon, you hentai!) like standing up or walking around. Woke up this morning and...still there. AND I had to 'prove' I wasn't just faking it by walking across the room. That is really hard when your knees won't bend properly without pain...sorry, enough of my ranting. Here's another chapter. Enjoy!  
  
Disclaimer:I thought we'd been through this? I don't own Buffy. Unless you're Joss Whedon, you don't have a case to sue. If you are, what the hell are you doing here?! Get your butt working on the actual series, dammit!  
  
Dedication: Silvermoon, Rainbow Dreamer and Lil'Smartass, a celebration upon the birth of our joint account (The Scoobs, go check it out!). **Breaks out champagne** Woohoo!  
  
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Laurel drifted through the rooms of the old mansion with an air of indifference, running the tips of her fingers along the dusty surfaces of tables and pictures, glancing around with slight scorn at the clear signs of long neglect. She passed in and out of all sorts of rooms: bedrooms, dining halls, bathrooms, studies. All the time she kept her thoughts firmly locked were they didn't show on her face and ignored the scurrying of the others.  
  
Presently, she came to a set of heavy oaken doors to which she turned the large iron rings that were the handles and pushed them both open. The room inside was enormous, and filled with a wide array of plants and flowers, overgrown from lack of care.  
  
She had barely taken five steps into the room when she heard the voice.  
  
"Hey there, sis."  
  
Only one person could ever be allowed to address her like that, and she turned with a smirk. "Hi Thomas. Good hunt?"  
  
Thomas grinned at her from where he stood leaning against the doorframe. "It certainly was." His voice was smug, causing her to arch an eyebrow.  
  
"Is there something you'd like to share, brother?"  
  
If possible, his grin widened. "I ran into sombody."  
  
"Who?" she asked eagerly, taking a step closer to him.  
  
His voice was mysterious. "Take a guess. I don't think you'll get it right though."  
  
"Oh really?" She cracked a smile, hands on hips. "Let's see, shall we? Hmm...Spike?"  
  
He laughed. "No. Guess again?"  
  
She shrugged. "I don't know...Drusilla?"  
  
He frowned jokingly. "Nuh-uh. We both know she's in Spain."  
  
"Who then? I give up."  
  
Obviously pleased with himself, Thomas leaned forward and whispered just two words.  
  
"The Slayer."  
  
Laurel's blue eyes widened in excitement. "Really?" He nodded, and she laughed. "Oh! What's she like?"  
  
He smirked, glancing upowards in concentration and recollection. "Well, I knew she was the Slayer because I could smell it on her. She has the look too. Just like that dear Lucrezia girl in Italy."  
  
"1923." Laurel chirped, and they both chuckled. "Anything else?"  
  
"Long dark hair. Big dark eyes. Slender. Quite a pretty little thing." Then Thomas's expression darkened and he straightened. "But there's something bad as well."  
  
"What?" Laurel's tone and face were apprehensive. "What is it, Thomas?"  
  
"I saw someone with her. Someone we both know, apart from Spike." He growled angrily. "Angelus."  
  
"No!" Laurel's hand flew to her mouth. "Not...oh god...him too?"  
  
Thomas nodded grimly. "Just like Dru said." Suddenly, he growled again and slammed his left fist hard into the stone wall. "Dammit! Everything's changed so much!"  
  
Laurel sighed and moved to lay her hand on his left shoulder . "But not us."  
  
He looked up, meeting her gaze, and then suddenly smiled, gripping the hand on his shoulder. "Yeah. Not us."  
  
"And even if our Sire and Great-grandsire are traitorous pillocks," Laurel continued. "That blood didn't come down the line to us, did it?"  
  
"No." Thomas seemed pretty much back to his usual self, before a sudden thought struck him, dousing his good humour. "Laurie..."  
  
"What?"  
  
"You don't think Dru was right, do you? That whole thing about Angelus changing and...I mean, we've been in Eastern Europe for so long we haven't heard any news of him in a while..."  
  
"Thomas," Laurel sighed again. "Dru's batty, we all know that. She says one thing and means another. For her it's all about the stars and moon, the fairies singing to her, crap like that. She's not exactly reliable."  
  
He nodded. "Yeah, you're right." Then he grinned at her. "You didn't come hunting."  
  
Laurel shook her head. "You know I like to sort out a place to stay before I go out."  
  
"Hungry?"  
  
She lay a hand on her stomach, aware suddenly of just how empty it seemed. "Starving."  
  
He took her wrist, a mischievious light in his eyes. "Got you a little something. Come see."  
  
Laurel laughed as he pulled her from the garden and into the dining room before it. "What is-" Then she caught sight of what he meant. "It..."  
  
The 'little something' was huddled by the table, whimpering as she scrabbled back, attempting to put as much distance between herself and the strangers, who she peered up at with wide, frightened eyes from under a sheet of golden hair.  
  
Laurel's face immediately melted in sympathy and she pulled herself from her brother to approach the child, who looked no older than nine. She knelt a few feet away, ducking her head to look her in the eye.   
  
"Shh." she soothed, and the girl choked out a sob of fear. "Shh, we're not going to hurt you. We want to help you. What's your name?"  
  
The little girl's voice came out barely above a whisper, and the twins may well have missed it had they not had vampiric hearing.   
  
"Charlotte."  
  
Laurel's eyes widened, a movement which was slightly genuine, and she slowly moved a little closer to the child. "Really?" The child nodded.  
  
"Your name is Charlotte?" A nod.  
  
Laurel halted directly in front of the girl, then dropped her gaze and traced a pattern absently on the floor with her finger. "I knew a little girl called Charlotte once, a long time ago."  
  
The blonde Charlotte felt some of her terror subside at the sight of this big girl kneeling there, voice so gentle and sad, face obscured by her long raven hair. "What happened to her?" she asked.  
  
Unhurriedly, the older girl raised her head to look back at Charlotte, and a scream caught, gasping, in her throat. The teenager had shifted her face into a horrible countenance, with the low brow and yellow eyes and long fangs that belonged with those monsters from her nightmares, the monsters Mommy had told her didn't exist.  
  
"Let me show you." the girl lisped around her fangs, then darted forward. Charlotte felt a burning pain searing the left side of her neck.  
  
Mommy lied.  
  
Laurel raised her head to grin at Thomas, face ghoulish through the unconcious child's blood. "Thanks. I needed that." She let the girl slump from her slackened grip as she stood, and she nudged the still body with her foot. "I'll get someone to take this back to the streets or something."  
  
The twins exited in casual and companionable silence, when Laurel turned to Thomas and said, "So, tell me more about this Slayer..."  
  
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Ooh...did anyone guess it was Thomas who tried to chat up Gracia at the Bronze? **Grins** Over a century old and his pick-up lines still suck (excuse the pun).  
  
So...review please...I'm off to start on the next chapter. Feel special people! :-D 


	6. Wondering

A/N: You know what annoys me most? It's stupid people who, for some reason or another, feel spiteful enough to go and report perfectly reasonable stories just because they have nothing better to do. Yes, I am referring to the gutless anonymous person who went and got the joint account I share with my friends temporarily disabled because they didn't like our talkshow fic with God! To combat this, go check it out under 'The Scoobs'. Thanks for listening to (or skipping, I wouldn't blame you!) my rant. To reward you for putting up with me, here's another chapter! :-)  
  
Disclaimer: Don't own it! Don't own anything!  
  
Dedication: FanFreak and Mereangel, the only people who are reviewing! This chapter is for you, 'cause you're my most faithful reviewers for this. Enjoy!  
  
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Keisha was deep in thought.  
  
It was something that Luke would have told her (as he constantly did) was a bad thing. But Keisha had told him to go ahead to the library after Geography whilst she headed for the girls' toilets. Almost fifteen minutes later, she was drifting through the corridors, thinking intently.  
  
In the past few months, she had been given more to think about than she'd had for a few years. The new Irish girl who she'd befriended in English class one day had brought with her a strange new world, full of danger and excitement. And these revelations were coupled with the emergence of a extraordinary talent in her.  
  
Second Sight. It was a rare ability which usually occurred in one or both of a set of twins. It was the thing which sometimes gave her premonitions in the form of dreams. It was what allowed her to see ghosts that others could not.  
  
That was how the group had met Spike. Keisha had been advised to contact him by the ghost of a young former Slayer called Buffy.  
  
And for a few days, something had been nagging away at her senses. Something that told her all was not as well as had seemed.  
  
And it had been there since she had gotten those books for Mr. Morgan.  
  
She had tried all the preoccupying tricks in the books: homework, T.V., arguing with her little brother Charlie, ice cream, obsessing over Angel. Even combining thought of the last two didn't work.  
  
So here she was. She'd stayed in the toilets long enough to be sure that the corridors would be quite empty, and this part at least had been a success.  
  
If anyone asks, Keisha reminded herself, I'm running an errand for a teacher.  
  
Not that it looked like she'd have to explain anything. The hallway was deserted apart from a couple necking at the far end. So it was that nobody saw or questioned her hesitating slightly by the door to the store cupboard before yanking it open and stepping in.  
  
It was just the same as it had been before- that same sense of stepping almost into another world. The silence was thick, creating a wall around herself and the outside reality as soon as she had slowly edged the door completely shut. Keisha took a deep breath to gather her resolve and forced herself to take a few steady steps forward, eyes being cast around quickly just in case she would catch sight of something in between the shelves.  
  
"Hello?" she called softly, very self-concious. "Is anyone here? Hello?"  
  
Silence. Nothing.  
  
A sudden clatter made her yelp and spin around.  
  
Breathing heavily, she tore her gaze from the few pencils which had fallen from one of the shelves and looked around almost frantically.  
  
"Hello?" Now she didn't care how stupid she might appear. She was terrified and her courage was slipping rapidly. "Who's there?"  
  
She wasn't sure whether it was just herself, but at that moment, she could have sworn that she caught a glimpse of a swishing skirt and long, whipping hair.  
  
Keisha ran.  
  
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Gracia was practicing snap kicks when Keisha burst into the library, looking pale and shaken. At first, her back to the door, she didn't see the state her friend was in.  
  
Luke looked up from the broadsword he was examining (much to Giles's displeasure) as the doors banged shut. "Hey Kei...what's wrong?"  
  
Gracia halted immediately when she heard this, spinning to a graceful halt, facing the twins. "Keisha?"  
  
The brunette dumped her bag on the table, pushed back some of the long hair escaping her ponytail, and looked up with a small, forced smile. "Yeah?"  
  
"Keisha, what's up?" Luke asked, voice unusually serious. "You were ages and...you don't look so good."  
  
Keisha frowned, putting a light-hearted note into her voice. "Thanks. I'm fine. And girls usually take ages in bathrooms, right?"  
  
Giles emerged from his office at this point, wondering what the commotion was about. "Keisha? Are you alright?"  
  
Keisha slumped in a chair. "I'm fine. I swear. Just...a little concerned, that's all."  
  
"What about?" Gracia asked quietly, moving over to pull up a chair next to her friend.  
  
Keisha looked at her briefly before sighing heavily. "Just my Second Sight. I...think it's playing up a bit. Something doesn't quite feel right."   
  
"How exactly do you mean?" Giles queried, approaching the three teenagers. "Is it a...a premonition, or just suspicions?"  
  
"Suspicions, mainly." Keisha said, then sighed again. "I'm probably making a big deal about nothing, but I just..." She trailed off with a small gesture, and there was silence for a few long moments before Gracia glanced up at her Watcher.  
  
"Giles?"  
  
The man blinked, coming out of his trance-like train of thought. "Hmm? Oh right. Well, I think that we should check out any recent happenings in Sunnydale, see if there's any type of strange links or...a pattern of some kind or something." He moved away to a stack of tomes on one of the nearby tables.  
  
Gracia stood up. "I'm going to find Spike tonight."  
  
Giles raised his eyebrows as he looked up. "Sorry?"  
  
"I said I'm going to find Spike tonight." she repeated. "I saw him a few days ago, and although he didn't say anything specifically, I think he has an idea what's going on."   
  
Keisha wasn't listening properly as she stood also. "I think I'll go do some research as well." She told them absently as she headed off up the small staircase into the expansive bookcases of the upper level of the library.  
  
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She had been seen. She was sure of it.  
  
But no. That was impossible. Foolish of her to think so.  
  
Nobody had seen her in...so long...she couldn't remember how long... ages...  
  
But still...  
  
The strange girl who had been here before. She had come again, and she seemed to know something. Seemed to sense, or at least suspect, something. And she had seen her.  
  
No. She was alone, and destined to be...forever...  
  
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Oh, I found out what might be wrong with my knees (they're getting better, btw). It's called chondromalacia patellae, and basically means that the cartilage in the back of my kneecaps has gotten softer. Ugh! Nasty! I have to do these really weird excercises to help it as well, and THAT is annoying!  
  
Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and please review!   
  
Oh yeah, FanFreak? I plan to let you know more bout Laurel 'n Thomas, and I have a good idea how, but please be patient! 


	7. Clandestine

A/N: Happy Christmas everyone! Here's my present for ya: a chapter with Spike! Whoohoo!  
Also, the talkshow with God IS up...go check it out if ya wanna. We're (me, Silvermoon, Rainbow Dreamer and Lil' Smartass) are currently working on the second chapter. So...yeah. Please visit it!  
  
Disclaimer: Well, I put the show down on my Christmas list, but Santa didn't bring it, so...yeah. Still no luck on the owning it front!  
  
Dedication: For everyone at ff.n- Happy Christmas and a Merry New Year! Also, for my cousin- happy eighteenth!  
  
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Gracia wrapped her jacket tightly around herself against the cold breeze as she weaved her way through the gravestones. This was the third she'd visited so far tonight. She'd staked two newbies, and still no sign of Spike.  
  
Life was unfair. She had a test tomorrow that she hadn't revised for, something weird going on- of what she had no idea- and here she was in a graveyard in the freezing cold searching for someone who probably hated her.  
  
Somehow it was the last idea that upset her the most.  
  
"C'mon Spike," she muttered to herself. "For once make life easy for someone..."  
  
She was cut off by a body flying across her path and slamming into a gravestone, making her stop. They rose dazedly, turning yellow eyes and a vampiric face towards her.  
  
She shrugged. "Or fate could just send me more work." She looked up at the sky with a sigh. "I hate you Powers sometimes."  
  
The vampire had risen by this time, grinning as he advanced, looking almost insane with hunger. With another sigh, she suddenly spin-kicked at his chest. Both of her feet hit him, two thumps that knocked him back. He made to lash out, but she blocked and punched him hard in his stomach. Groaning in pain, the vampire pulled himself from her grasp, giving her chance to take out her stake. One step brought her up to him to shove the stake through his heart...  
  
Just as another piece pierced him from the back.  
  
The vampire blinked in surprise and then crumbled, leaving Gracia facing a slightly shocked Spike. Both of their stake arms fell to their sides in the silence.  
  
Spike was the first to break it, sneering. "What do you want, Slayer?"  
  
"Fine, thanks, and how are you?" Gracia rolled her eyes. "Something's going on. You're going to tell me what."  
  
Spike put away his stake, taking out a cigarette and lighting up. He took a drag, then studied her through narrowed eyes. "I don't know if you could take it."  
  
Gracia made a noise a little like a laugh and cocked her head at him. "I've taken a lot in my years. You underestimate me too much."  
  
Spike snorted. "You can talk big, but you're only a little girl."  
  
Again, she rolled her eyes. "I'm seventeen. In this life, I've become a Slayer and already faced a vampire cult and my evil Watcher. In my last life, I was sixteen when I died. My brother was turned into a vampire and killed all my family before me. Altogether, I've lived thirty-three years in this world, but my soul's been around centuries. I lived before you were even born." She shrugged. "This is me. You think I'm not worthy? Try me."  
  
"Could be interesting." Spike's fist shot out towards her face; she blocked an inch from impact. "Might have given it a go...if it wasn't for the bloody chip in my head."  
  
Suddenly, he grabbed her wrists and yanked her up to him. THAT, she certainly hadn't expected, and her eyes widened as they met his. She was trying to slow her breathing down from its increased pace, with very little success. He was just watching her with those ice blue eyes, scanning her, assessing her. He leaned closer to whisper in her ear.  
  
"There are other ways to get to you though."  
  
His eyes locked with hers for another second before he sniggered and pushed her away. She caught herself, making sure she didn't stumble, and swallowed hard to calm her heart rate.  
  
"This new bad." Spike seemed to consider. "Or should that be 'bads'. Anyway, I know them. There are two of them, and they're more of a team than you could ever imagine. They're practically one person, with twice the strength and brainpower. And they're pretty much hunting you, pet."  
  
"How do you know them?" Gracia persisted. "What are their names?"  
  
"We go back. Way back. And as for their names..." Spike sniggered again. "I'll leave you to find out."  
  
"You can be so annoying sometimes." she stated dully. Great, she thought, still no information. Still nothing. She turned away and started off. "See you around, Spike."  
  
Those words echoed in Spike's mind, Gracia's voice mingling with Laurel's. Of course, he didn't fear either of his childeren, but he knew that he had to take their threats seriously. When they made a plan, they stuck to it.  
  
"Slayer." he called out, before he could stop himself.  
  
She halted, looked over her shoulder. "What?"  
  
He looked away. "Be careful." It was hard to say and his voice was awkward, but he missed Gracia's smile.  
  
"Thanks."  
  
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Keisha adjusted the strap of her bag on her shoulder as she trudged down the street. It was dark, and she was about two blocks from home, heading back with a heavy load of books taken from the library shelves when no one was looking.   
  
Not ordinary books, of course. These were about ghosts.  
  
Her mind was a confused jumble of information about the 'spirit world' and 'higher planes', 'ghostly realms' and 'other sides'. Eventually, she had shoved a few of the most-promising looking finds into her schoolbag and told Giles and Luke that she wasn't feeling well and needed sleep.   
  
She was used to this. When her Second Sight had first come out, Keisha had wondered long and hard if she was going crazy. Eventually, she had trawled through all kinds of dusty volumes for help, not telling anyone until she had eventually accidentally slipped...to Angel, of all people.   
  
Thinking about it, she mused, that has to have been the one properly two-sided conversation we've actually ever had.  
  
She carried on, planning what she'd do when she got home. She just wanted to relax, but that wasn't really fair. She'd worried Gracia enough to go looking for Spike, she had Giles and Luke searching through tome after tome for any slightest clue- and she knew more than anyone how much Luke didn't like research- and she was being no use at all. Everyone else was helping and she wasn't.  
  
She would have hated herself if her train of thought hadn't been cut off by a hand on her arm. She started and whirled round, pulling a crucifix from her pocket, just to see...  
  
"Angel?"   
  
Angel nodded, wincing slightly at the sight of the cross. "Hey Keisha."  
  
Keisha blushed and put the cross away. "Sorry. I...well, I didn't know if..."   
  
"That's alright. I just wondered what you were doing walking alone."  
  
"Oh, I...I..." Get a grip, Keisha, and stop staring into his eyes! "I...didn't feel too good. I'm heading home."  
  
"Will you be OK?"  
  
She swallowed hard, not expecting his concern. "Uh...yeah, I think so. I just...probably should rest a bit."  
  
He studied her for a long moment as she looked down at the pavement and shifted her bag nervously. Eventually, he said, "Do you want me to walk with you? I mean, in case something happens."  
  
Keisha's gaze snapped back up to his, only three words going through her head.  
  
Oh my god!  
  
He was just watching her, waiting for a reply, so she blurted out something quick.  
  
"No. I, uh, mean yes. I...mean, I should be fine. It's not far."  
  
Angel blinked in surprise and hesitated. "...OK." They both stood there for a minute or so longer, the silence stretching before he added. "Well, I'm going to go to the library. Sure you'll be OK?"  
  
Ask him to walk you back, idiot! "I think so."  
  
"Right. I'll see you later then." He turned and walked off, Keisha watching him, frozen with shock.  
  
"Thanks anyway." she called, but he had already disppeared.  
  
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Well, there y'are! Another chapter. Hopefully, the next should be longer...I'm quite ill at the moment (just over Christmas 'n all, dammit!), so please send in lots of reviews to help me recover! 


	8. Meet

A/N: Bah, writer's block really does suck. Hence the wait. That and other stuff: me going away to Disneyland (yay! In the freezing cold, lol!), me getting loads of work, and me being blamed for the very big phone bill (basically, 'you're always online, blah blah blah'). Anyways, finally, a new chapter! Success! :-D  
Oh, and would you believe it snowed here? Yeah, for like the first time in three or four years! Right on the day AFTER the holidays ended...grr!  
  
Disclaimer: So sue me. I dare ya.  
  
Dedication: My only reviewer, FanFreak! Yes, Keisha is acting like a bit of an idiot around Angel, but she's just shy. Or perhaps traumatised- well, wouldn't you be if you had Luke as a brother? Lol! I liked your idea, by the way. You're right, it really would be funny, but I don't know all that much about the 80s. Still, you never know...;-D I just wanna say thanks for sticking by me for so long!  
  
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Nathan Pierce was depressed.   
  
Well, what else was he supposed to be when he was spending his evening alone in the Bronze with very little female interest? None of his friends had shown up, which was lucky considering his three failed conquests for the night. He'd only been standing here in the corner for an hour and already he was wondering about leaving.  
  
It was during the very middle of his self-pity session that he saw the girl.  
  
He had been scanning the crowds, completely bored, until one face made him look back. She was sitting on one of the high stools at the bar, left hand absently playing with the glass on the bar top as she looked around absently. Even from here he could tell that she was very pretty, probably about his own nineteen years.   
  
He continued to watch her, glad that there seemed to be no sign of a boyfriend, when suddenly she looked at him.   
  
Nathan froze.  
  
But the girl just smiled shyly, looking down for a moment before meeting his gaze once more and beckoning him over. Hardly daring to believe his luck, Nathan complied, hoping that he looked cool and that his luck was in as he leaned on the bar top in front of her.  
  
"Hey." Smooth, he thought. She was even prettier close up, with black hair clipped back and spilling over her shoulders, and a perfect figure shown off by her black skirt and silver top.   
  
"Hi." Their conversation was raised over the music. "I..." The girl glanced away briefly again. "I just wondered if you might like some company."   
  
Nathan faltered slightly, wondering if she was only trying to be kind. "Oh, no, it's fine." he said simply, struggling to maintain 'cool'. "Just waiting for a friend." Forcing a laugh, he added, "He never could tell the time."  
  
The girl laughed slightly, a hand over her mouth, before she added, "I hope you didn't think I was just trying to be charitable. I'm just not very good with these conversations." She adverted her eyes to her lap.  
  
"Oh no, not at all, I don't mind." Nathan rushed. She smiled up at him in what might have been a hopeful way.  
  
"What's your name then?" she asked. He blinked.  
  
"Uh...Nathan. And you are?"  
  
"Laurel." She watched her fingers tracing around the rim of her glass before looking back at him. "So, you live in Sunnydale then?"  
  
"Yeah, I'm a student at the U.C." He saw the opportunity and took it. "How about you? I haven't seen you around before."  
  
"Oh, I just moved here recently. Not that long at all."  
  
"A family thing, huh?"  
  
Her smile widened slightly at this. "You could say that."  
  
Nathan couldn't help but just stare at Laurel for a moment, just to take in all the things about her. She gave a small, shy chuckle, looking back at her glass. That caused him to snap out of his daze.  
  
"I, uh..." Mind hurtling, he blurted out, "I could show you around some time. I, um, mean, only if you wanna."  
  
She looked at him, eyes narrowed very slightly as she studied him, smiling gently. Her next words were so low that he only just heard them.   
  
"I'd like that."  
  
Score! he thought happily.  
  
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Spike was not so happy.  
  
Sitting alone in his crypt like he'd done on so many nights before gave the chance for too much thought. Too much BAD thought that even the alcohol wouldn't drown out.  
  
Wonder how Peaches does this as a hobby, he thought. I'd sooner stake myself than put up with this.  
  
It was strange that he should be musing like this. He knew it shouldn't be this way, not any more. The soul which he had gained those years ago in Africa was gone again- he'd had it removed with a curse once the constant grief had become too much for him. That and the fact that Buffy still wouldn't love him.  
  
His eyes narrowed at the memory of her. She never aged in his memory, never aged in the fading photographs he'd stolen from her house during the early days of his infatuation. Never changed. Always scornful of his efforts.  
  
Then she had died a final time, leaving the newly released Faith to carry on the work of the Chosen One until she, too, had been killed. Three months later, and Gracia McCormack had shown up.  
  
Something about her was intriguing. It was just something he couldn't quite understand, and every time he just came close to discovering what it was...it slipped away again.   
  
He knew she was seventeen, emigrated from Belfast. He knew she was Angel's reborn sister, remembering everything from the past life in which her turned brother had killed her. He knew her Watcher had been evil, and now, following that Watcher's suicide, she was trained by Rupert Giles. He knew she had her own little gang at the high school, just as Buffy had done.   
  
But there was still something deep within her large brown eyes that kept him guessing, teased him about something he couldn't know. Not yet.  
  
He pushed her away. Why should he care? His days of consorting with Slayers were well over- he refused to go down that same road of pain and punishment that he'd become oh-so-familiar with by now. All a Slayer could do now was hurt him. Even if she pretended to be friendly enough.  
  
But still...he should help her...right?  
  
Spike shook his head and took another swig. How much more alcohol would it take to drown that tiny voice in his brain?  
  
********************************************************************************  
  
Nathan still couldn't believe his fabulous luck as the girl named Laurel led him from the Bronze by the hand. She was talking about him coming back to her place, that it wasn't far, and that there was someone who might be interested to meet him.  
  
In his preoccupied, almost euphoric state, he totally missed the triumphant edge to her tone.  
  
********************************************************************************  
  
Spike stared down at the growing pile of empty bottles with unfocused eyes. He'd drunk so much that he was close to passing out, but he still carried on, happily drinking himself into oblivion. Again. It was a practiced art for him by now.  
  
Well, it's not like his liver could complain, was it? It'd been dead for over a century.  
  
But he realised, with extreme annoyance, that the voice still hadn't shut up. It was still whispering about helping the Slayer. About how he had to do something other than sit here and act like Angel, with his constant depression and brooding.  
  
Alright! he snapped at the voice. I'll help the stupid bint. Just shut up!  
  
The voice obeyed, and the last thing Spike saw before passing out was Gracia's wide eyes, full of pleading and despair.  
  
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Laurel almost hummed to herself, such was her happiness, as she led the young man from the club through the cemetery. He was quite good looking, she had to admit, and it seemed like such a shame just to waste that on a meal. Perhaps she could Sire him. She was quite taken with him as it was.  
  
She heard him clear his throat almost nervously, and sensed him glancing around at the shadowed tombstones. She couldn't help but grin at that.  
  
Humans, she mused to herself. Always so afraid of the dead, for some reason. But I can help him with that...  
  
"Uh, Laurel?"  
  
She made sure that her expression was one which could have been assumed by the quiet, bookish character she had played at the club as she stopped and looked back. "Yes?"  
  
Nathan gestured around with the hand not clasped in hers. "Are...you sure that this is a shortcut?"  
  
"Of course." She giggled quietly. "Why? Not scared, are you?"  
  
He tried to make himself look and sound tough, and the effort was so obvious that it made her smirk inwardly. Poor little boy, she thought.  
  
"Of course not. I was just wondering. We seemed to have been walking a long while, that's all."  
  
She drew closer to him, eyes now fixed hungrily on his neck as she slid her hands up to hold onto his upper arms. "The dead can't harm you, you know." She leaned into the unsuspecting boy as her face morphed into feeding mode. She dipped her fangs close and...  
  
"They can, though."  
  
A different voice made her look up over Nathan's shoulder at the person standing a few feet away. It was a girl, face grave and determined, holding herself in a ready battle stance. Laurel's eyes, now a blazing gold, were drawn to the pointed wooden stick clasped in the girl's right hand. She snarled, and looked back to the girl's face as she cocked an eyebrow and continued, "Can't they?"  
  
Nathan broke from Laurel's grip and turned around irritably. "Do you mind? We were bu-" At this point Laurel grabbed him again, causing him to look at her. He yelled and tried to get away, but Laurel's fingers were like a vice, squeezing his bicep hard. She grinned ghoulishly at him through her fangs, before turning her look to the girl, who had taken a few steps forward.  
  
"So, who would you be, dear?" Her voice was patronizing. "Oh, but let me guess. You could only be the Slayer."  
  
The girl dipped her head in a mockery of thoughtful respect. "Right first time. It usually takes people much longer to get that."  
  
"Would you mind leaving us now?" Laurel yanked Nathan close to her and looked deep into his eyes, savouring the terror there. "We have things to do. Run along."  
  
The girl was so fast that, at first, Laurel didn't sense her approach. It was only at the last second that she realised the flips the girl had used to get close, and she tried to dodge in that instant. She managed to avoid the blows, but her hold on the boy was broken. He paced away backwards, slowly. The Slayer gave him an urgent push as Laurel gathered herself.  
  
"Go! Run now!" she snapped, blocking as Laurel flew at her.  
  
"B-but..." Nathan was full of uncertainty. "I can help you...you're only a girl..."  
  
The Slayer caught the vampiress firmly in the chest with a rolling kick. "No, you can't! Now go!"  
  
Nathan didn't need to be told again. He bolted as fast as possible through the cemetery, back the way he had come, and didn't cast another glance at the fight.  
  
Laurel felt faintly annoyed, but most of her was focused on the fight now. "Not a clever move, girl." she hissed, lashing out at the Slayer's face- not quick enough, the girl caught the full force of the strike in her left cheek. Laurel stepped back to observe as the girl rolled with the blow and rounded back on her. "Well, you're just like he said. Shame he might not see you again. I'm sorely tempted to snap your scrawny neck, you insolent little brat."  
  
"I wouldn't try if I were you."  
  
Those words were spoken from behind her, in a voice that Laurel immediately recognised, even after so long. She gasped and whirled halfway round to see the newcomer standing there, half in darkness, and grew wide-eyed at the stake in his hand.  
  
"Angelus!" she stated. Now it was his turn to be confused, and it showed.  
  
"Laurel?"   
  
"I'm honoured you remember who I am." The bitterness in her voice and mind were growing as she recalled Drusilla's words, all the clearer now she was face to face with him. "But do you know who you are?"  
  
She stalked closer to him, ignoring the fact that he was frozen to the spot in shock. "I've heard what you've become! I've heard what you've done, how you've..." She stopped in front of him, her voice betraying her in a wave of emotion as she lashed out, raking her sharp nails right across his left cheek. "Traitor!"  
  
The Slayer was suddenly there behind her, grabbing her hair, yanking her head back and trying to pull her away. Laurel scrabbled, catching the girl's arm with her talons, scraping her shin with the sharp heel of her shoe, shoving her hard in the stomach. The Slayer staggered back, winded.  
  
"Gracey!" Angelus had snapped out of whatever trance he had been in, face revealing a great amount of feeling for this girl, this enemy of their kind. He rounded on the vampires, seizing her upper arm. That made her look around from the injured Slayer with wide, wild eyes.  
  
"Stay away from here, Laurel," he warned quietly. "Take Thomas, wherever he is, and get out of town. I'm giving you a chance to leave."  
  
Laurel's eyes slid to his firm grip on her arm. "You're hurting me." she stated, looking back up at him without interest. "And it's not even that old pain we used to enjoy together."  
  
With one fluid motion she broke away and backed from both of them, her great-grandsire and the recovering Slayer, shooting angry glances between both of them.   
  
"Why should I take orders from you, Angelus? It's not like you're one of us any more. And as for this, whatever THIS is," She sneered. "Well, I don't like it. Thomas was right. Everything has changed so much."  
  
Like Nathan, she fled without a backward glance, totally missing the words that passed between Angelus and the Slayer he had called by 'Gracey'. All she knew was the sense of having her entire existence turned completely upside down.  
  
"You know her." The Slayer phrased it as a fact, not a question.  
  
Angelus looked at her, pain evermore present in his eyes. "Yes."  
  
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Lol, anyone seen The Two Towers yet? There are so many funny lines in that!  
  
Gimli: Toss me.  
Aragorn: What?  
  
Also, the constant jokes about Gimli's height! (No offence, cause I'm quite short too!):  
  
Gimli: What's going on out there?  
Legolas: Would you like me to describe it for you...or would you like me to find you a box?  
  
Enough of my ramblings. Review! 


	9. Talk

A/N: Bad news, people. Unfortunately, due to all the arguments in my house over use of our new computer, I'm now only allowed FORTY MINUTES A DAY on the computer. Yep, you heard right. Forty minutes. It really, really sucks (nothing), and as this is the one with the internet on, it's really hard. However, I'm gonna try to make sure it doesn't affect my updating (which is currently a little infrequent anyways cause I'm trying to work out all the plotlines). Thanks for listening to my rant!  
  
Disclaimer: Yeah yeah, whatever. Like I really own Buffy. If I did, I wouldn't have so much trouble saving up for a PS2. Coincidentally, if any of you guys wanna send me any donations...lol!  
  
Dedication: To my friend, who lent me the season 6 videos I needed to catch up on missed episodes. Thanks!  
  
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Keisha sipped at her coffee, wincing as the hot liquid burned her lips and tongue. Brushing back some loose strands of hair from her eyes, she squinted once again at the book she had 'borrowed' from Giles's collection. Finally, she seemed to be making some sort of breakthrough in finding out what was currently residing in the store closet...if she just didn't happen to be going crazy, that is.  
  
I really have to get going, she mused. Gracia wants to have us all there to patrol, after all...  
  
That morning, she had known that something was up with Gracia, even despite her preoccupied state. She and Luke had finally heard the story at lunchtime, catching Gracia in the middle of a vigorous training session. It had turned out that whatever new evil had moved to Sunnydale had met Gracia the night before as she patrolled with Angel. The vampire girl had recognised Angel straight away, and after a moment, he had realised who she was too. Apparently he knew her and her brother from years before, but he had said he would look into events and meet up with them at the library at sunset.  
  
Keisha glanced up at the clock. Still an hour or so, but it would take time to get there. She looked back down at her outfit, smoothing out the low-cut vest top and jeans as she wondered whether to change again. For the fifth time since she'd got home from school.  
  
It was unusual for her to be like this. For so many years she'd been almost tomboyish, not really caring what people thought she looked like. But then she hadn't known Angel for any of those times, had she?  
  
Wow, she thought dryly, I could probably pass as one of Bridget's Bitch Brigade.  
  
The sound of approaching footsteps made her jolt back into reality, and she quickly drew a school textbook over her previous reading material, pretending to be intent in study. She glanced up as her mother came into the room.  
  
"Hi." she said conversationally. Her mother looked up sharply.  
  
"Oh, hello Keisha. I thought you and Luke were going out?" Her mother went to make some more coffee as Keisha shifted slightly in her seat, playing with her hair almost nervously.  
  
"Yeah, but not for a while yet." She frowned, noticing something slightly... agitated in her mother's actions. "Mom? Is everything alright?"  
  
Her mother sighed, setting down the coffee pot and turning round. Now Keisha knew something was up. Shauna Goldsmith was usually very calm and collected- after all, you had to be to manage a career and four children like Luke and Keisha. But right now, her eyes seemed almost glazed, and she kept running her hands through her hair.  
  
"It's just...oh, well, I had to take Charlie to the hospital today."  
  
Charlie was Keisha's nine year old brother. "Why? What happened?"  
  
"Nothing happened to him, it's just...oh, something horrible happened." Shauna moved to sit across from her daughter. "One of the little girls in Charlie's class was abducted and dumped back on the streets with a lot of blood lost." The woman tried to keep her voice steady, but there was a definate quiver in it.   
  
"Oh my god." Keisha breathed, mind racing. "Well, was she OK? Is she..." She couldn't bring herself to say 'dead'.  
  
Shauna shook her head rapidly. "No, no, thank god. The doctors say that her condition is stable, and they're allowing her friends to visit, but...she's extremely traunmatised about what happened."  
  
"I'll bet." Keisha wondered briefly how to phrase her next question. "What...what happened to her?"  
  
"It...well, it looked like something bit her, apparently. Of course, it's all bandaged, so I didn't see. I was talking to the doctors, but they seem so baffled..." She sighed heavily, pushed back her golden hair and stood up quickly. "Well, I'd better get on, there's so much to do..." She left the room at a quick pace, leaving Keisha deep in wonder, before she shook her head hard to clear her mind.  
  
She'd mention it to Gracia, but for now, she had to try to sort out the problem of the haunting going on.  
  
Or maybe she should redo her hair...?  
  
********************************************************************************  
  
Well, he'd been standing here for too long without making any type of movement towards the house across the street. For at least half an hour he'd just stared at it, preparing himself to go and knock on the door, to see her and talk to her. It was lucky the sky was clouded enough to stop him bursting into flames, otherwise this little trip might have had to have been delayed, and who knows if he'd have actually gone then.  
  
Spike sighed in frustration, slamming his fist into the tree he leaned against. He was acting like an idiot, and he knew it. He'd had enough of this.  
  
It was only a matter of a few seconds before he found himself standing in front of the door he'd been watching for so long and banging hard on it to get the attention of whoever was in there. He sighed as the silence stretched out, knocking once more in impatientce and glancing around behind him.  
  
The door opened abruptly and Spike turned, saying as he did, "About bloody ti-"  
  
He stopped in mid-sentence as soon as he saw the girl who had opened the door. Not Gracia. This girl was younger, probably about eleven, with ragged dirty blonde hair and dressed in faded jeans and a grey fleece jacket. And right now, she was frowning at him, raising an eyebrow.  
  
"Yes?" she asked slowly in an accent that wasn't quite fully American, looking him up and down.  
  
Spike blinked, hesitating slightly. "I'm here to see Gracia."  
  
Her other eyebrow went up at this, blue eyes widening slightly as she half looked over her shoulder at the staircase. "Gracia!" she yelled. "Gracia! Someone to see you!" This said, she pulled a dog lead from the hall table and whistled loudly. "C'mon Scrappy!"  
  
There were hurried footsteps on the stairs and Spike looked up to see Gracia coming to a halt halfway down, staring at him in obvious surprise.  
  
"Spike..." she said quietly, then raised her voice slightly to add, "What're you doing here?"  
  
"I need a word, love." A wide grin spread itself over the little girl's face as he called her that, causing Gracia to advert her eyes briefly as her usually pale cheeks flushed slightly pink.  
  
"Sure." she said, then looked at the other girl. "Uh, Brianna?"  
  
The blonde called Brianna looked up from calling after 'Scrappy'. "What?"  
  
"Where're you going?" Gracia came right down the stairs, avoiding Spike's continued gaze. Brianna rolled her eyes and motioned to the dog lead.  
  
"Where'd you think? I'm taking Scrappy for a walk." She whistled again. "Where is he?"  
  
Gracia was evidently not happy about this. "You be quick then. Back before sunset."  
  
Brianna rolled her eyes again. "Sure. Whatever."  
  
Suddenly, something bounded into the narrow hallway, jumping up at Brianna playfully as it did so. Brianna laughed, pushing it back down to calm it down, and when it was eventually still, Spike saw it was a dog. Then it looked at him, and he knew what was coming.  
  
The little girl blinked as the Doberman growled, teeth bared, at Spike in the doorway. "Scrappy? What's up with you?" She struggled with the dog, who had begun to bark loudly, clipping the lead to his collar. "Bad dog!" She pulled an apologetic face. "Sorry. He's usually fine."  
  
Spike shrugged nonchalantly. "Don't worry."  
  
Gracia and Spike watched silently as Brianna dragged Scrappy out of the door and down the front drive, trying to ignore his rowdy behaviour. As soon as Brianna turned down the street, Gracia met Spike's eyes somewhat reluctantly.  
  
"Sorry. He really isn't like that usually." she said, basically repeating what her sister had said. He shrugged again.  
  
"The whole soulless thing." He explained. "I'm used to it."  
  
"Oh." She wiped her palms on her jeans, then gestured towards a door on her left. "So...?"  
  
He put his hand up against the threshold, pushing against the invisible barrier. "Kind of difficult to come in, love."  
  
She blinked. "Oh, sorry. Come on in."  
  
His hand passed through the doorway and he stepped in, closing the door behind him. She jerked her head to the door again, saying, "We can talk in here."   
  
He followed her into a neat living room, looking around at the T.V., the chairs, the small coffee table. It was just an ordinary room which could have belonged to anyone, not necessarily a vampire Slayer. His eyes were drawn to a large photograph hanging over the mantlepiece. It showed Gracia, perhaps a year or so younger than now, smiling with Brianna and two people who could only have been her parents. He noticed as well that she didn't look much like any of them, suddenly remembering that she was adopted. When he looked round at her, he noticed she wasn't looking at him, instead finding the floor much more interesting.  
  
"That was your little sister then?" he asked, just to break the silence. She nodded.  
  
"Yeah, that was Brianna." She gestured towards the sofa. "Have a seat."  
  
He moved over and sat down, watching as she perched on the arm of one of the chairs opposite. He smirked inwardly, knowing she was trying to put distance between them. Then she looked at him.  
  
"So what did you want to tell me?"  
  
For a moment looking at her, he couldn't remember. Then his mind snapped to attention again.  
  
"It's about these newcomers. Decided to give you a little help."   
  
Whatever reaction he had expected, her slight frown hadn't been high on the list. "This would be that girl called Laurel, right?"  
  
He made a surprised movement. "How'd you know?"  
  
She sighed. "Met her last night when I was patrolling. She didn't seem...too pleased to see Angel though."  
  
He snorted. "Bit of a shock for her, I'd guess."  
  
Gracia's tone was thoughtful. "Angel mentioned that she had a brother. Thomas, or something?"  
  
Spike nodded in confirmation. "Laurel and Thomas. So you've heard of them."  
  
She shrugged slightly, hugging her elbows. "Just about. Angel didn't tell me much."  
  
Spike snorted again. "I could tell you much more than he knows."  
  
Gracia blinked, leaning forward slightly. "You could? I mean...would you? Or did you just come here to gloat?"  
  
His mouth twisted in a smirk. "Sure I could. Depends how much you want to hear it, pet."  
  
She stood. "Save it, Spike. You're coming with me to the library. You're going to tell everyone what you've got."  
  
He got up as well, stepping up close to her. Their faces were inches apart as he said, "Going to make me?"  
  
Gracia's eyes seemed almost sad as she drew out a stake from where it had been concealed in the back pocket of her jeans. Her voice barely a whisper, she replied, "If I have to."  
  
********************************************************************************  
  
Luke had been in the library for almost twenty minutes when the doors opened once more.  
  
He and Keisha had arrived to find Angel conversing quietly with Giles, and immediately Keisha had tensed in that silent, shy way she always did with Angel in proximity. Angel had explained that once Gracia turned up he would tell them the little information he had been able to gain through 'contacts' since last night. Giles seemed to have been carrying out a full scale research operation- subtly hinted at by the huge stacks of dusty old books taking up at least three tables.  
  
Luke looked up immediately from the volume he was boredly flicking through (mainly just checking out the disgusting yet fascinating picture of a tribe of Hasslich demons devouring their human prey)as soon as he heard the sound of the entrance working. Gracia strode in, a serious expression on her face, and Luke was about to offer a greeting when he realised who was following her. Keisha also glanced up from where she was sitting and her eyes widened in shock.  
  
Gracia nodded to them as she stopped by the table. "Hey. Are Giles and Angel here yet?"  
  
Luke jerked a thumb behind him. "They went back into Giles's office."  
  
She managed a small smile for him. "Thanks." She hurried off towards the door to the office, and both twins looked at the guy in front of them, who was lighting up a cigarette. He scowled at them.   
  
"What?"  
  
Luke shrugged, but Gracia's next entrance prevented him from saying anything. Angel and Giles both stopped dead when they saw the bleached vampire standing there, calmly taking a drag.  
  
"Peaches, Watcher." he said, sniggering as he nodded at them. Eyes still on Spike, Angel put a hand on his sister's shoulder.  
  
"Gracia, why is he here?" His voice was low, but too obviously concealing a fury that only displayed itself in his tone and his eyes.   
  
"He says he can tell us things we need to know." She sighed. "So, Spike, you've got an audience now."  
  
He sneered as the Slayer, her brother and her Watcher all moved closer, the latter two somewhat warily. "I'm honoured." He glanced at the other two teenagers, smirking to himself when he saw the girl staring at Angel with a somewhat wistful expression, making a mental note for blackmail purposes later. "So, what do you want to know, Slayer?"  
  
She shrugged, eyes never leaving his face. "Whatever you can tell us."  
  
He dropped casually into a chair, kicking his feet up onto the table- much to Giles's displeasure. "You might want a seat. It's a long story."  
  
Gracia moved into a chair opposite Spike, next to Luke, although Angel and Giles made no such move. Spike grinned. "Suit yourself then."  
  
He lit up another cigarette, taking his time before he began.  
  
"The first time I met Laurel and Thomas was in 1887, in a small village that didn't know there were vampires living just outside its boundaries..."  
  
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Next chapter is a flashback! Review please! 


	10. Wager

A/N: Well, I'm not sure that many people at all are reading this now, but you know what? I'm gonna carry on anyways. So nyah nyah nyah! :-P Oh, and this is the flashback chapter. Enjoy!  
  
Disclaimer: You wanna sue me? Pfft. OK, go ahead if you want an almost broken Playstation, a disk of fanfiction and 67 p.  
  
Dedication: This chapter are for my friends Manic and 'Pikey', who I shared a room with when I stayed in France last week. Remember, my friends- Raise your bottles with an "Up yours!" at every meal, avoid the Chipmank at all costs, and watch out for the killer flea! lol  
  
Kent,1887  
  
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Spike was seething as he strode through the field, inches away from vamping out in his fury. Damn Angelus and his little whore Darla. Damn their stupid goading. Damn his easily provoked temper.  
  
Angelus had had it in for Spike even more so than usual since another bar brawl had left them fleeing for their lives from the guesthouse that they had been occupying near Liverpool and across the country to here- a tiny village in the middle of nowhere. True, the place they were staying in was nice enough- an elaborate mansion now with no inhabitants(well, after they'd 'dealt' with them)- but Spike didn't really care where he stayed. The riches were just to cater for the tastes of Angelus and Darla.  
  
Spike growled at the thought of them. The whole scene replayed through his mind, starting right in the middle of the argument when the stupid subject of Siring came up. He was in the study of the house, loosely grasping a bottle of alcohol in one hand, grinning cockily as Angelus fumed and ranted. A short way off were Darla and Drusilla, both watching exicitedly to see what would happen.  
  
"How can anyone be so foolish?" he yelled. "Even you! Even you should realise that sooner or later we're going to get caught because of your stupid addiction to common bar fights!"  
  
Spike sniggered. "Ah, c'mon now, Angelus. When was the last time you indulged in a little of the old fisticuffs, eh?" He paused, gauging the reaction and continued. "Been a bloody age, I'll bet."  
  
"Unlike you Spike, I have my dignity. I'm not going to make an idiot out of myself in some seedy back alley fight." He sneered. "You don't even pick worthy opponents! Continue like this, and you'll end up impaled on the wrong end of a stake, mark my words." The Irish vampire turned his back and the younger one took a swig from the bottle in his grasp, laughing mockingly.  
  
"Ah, what's this then? You too scared to take me on, eh? C'mon- you going to show me what a worthy opponent is?" He revelled in goading his grandsire, loved to push him right to the brink of his patience-  
  
Angelus whirled around, the demon visage errupting onto his handsome face as he seized Spike by his collar, slamming him into the wall, causing him to drop the bottle to smash on the floor. Drusilla gave a cry of something like a cross between excitement and fear, jumping up and down and clapping her hands like a little girl. Darla was smiling widely, obviously loving this.  
  
"If I were you, William," he said, words calm and stressed on Spike's real name. "I would be more careful about the challenges I hand out. Because if I were you, I would realise that all I was was an ignorant, weak little fledgeling who has nothing better to do but pick fights with middle-aged drunkards."  
  
Drusilla gave another cry of excitement, still bobbing. "Ooh, don't hurt him, Daddy! My baby will know better, Mummy will teach him." To Spike, she gave a playful growl.  
  
Darla laughed, rolling her eyes as she stepped forward to place a hand on her lover's shoulder, peering up into his face. "Angelus? Why waste your time on this pathetic creature when there are other things that could be done?" Her tone hinted at something which made Angelus glance at her, correctly reading her expression as 'I have an idea which we could use to make him suffer'. With another glance at Spike, Angelus dropped him to the floor. Spike got up, massaging his throat and sneering. Darla was the next to speak.  
  
"I hope you don't mind my asking," She feined politeness. "But...how many have you Sired?"  
  
"What?" he demanded rudely. Angelus grasped him by the throat again.  
  
"She's asking you a question, William." Again, the stress on his human name. Angelus let go. "Answer her!"  
  
"So how many is it, William?" She laughed slightly. "Because we never seem to meet any of these vampires."  
  
Spike remained silent for a long moment. He racked his mind for a sarcastic reply, but, of all the times sarcasm could fail him, it just HAD to be now. Great. Just bloody marvellous.  
  
"I'd be discouraged from Siring if they'd turn out anything like you." He snarled irritably, knowing that they'd got the better of him, and knowing that they knew as well. Mentally, he excluded Drusilla from his statement.  
  
Angelus growled threateningly, but Darla just gave a musical laugh and put a hand on her lover's chest.   
  
"I think that proves my point, don't you Angelus? Our dear little William here really isn't all that he boasts to be." Her tone was now sugary sweet, but had an underlying sadistic air to it, quite like a cat toying with a mouse.  
  
Angelus suddenly smirked as well. "Indeed. You were right, lover." The two began to laugh.  
  
Spike glared at them, desperately trying to keep his temper in check for once, despite how much he wanted to kill them for humiliating him. Without even thinking, he said, "Believe what you want, but I am well worthy of any challenge you want to put to me."  
  
The laughter instantly died as Angelus and Darla studied him in something between interest and thoughtfulness. Angelus wrapped a protective arm around Darla's waist. "Is that so?"  
  
Spike sneered. "C'mon then."  
  
"I know." Darla said, sliding from Angelus's grasp with a brief glance up at him. Then, focusing on Spike, she continued, "I have a challenge for you then."  
  
"What?"  
  
She gave a small laugh as she looked him up and down in amusement. "Go out and Sire. We'll give you two nights. If you succeed, I suppose," Here she sighed dramatically, "We just may start to consider you a proper vampire. However, on the likely outcome that you should fail..." She smiled up at Angelus, who glared directly at Spike and finished:  
  
"We'll kill you."  
  
Angelus put his arm back around Darla and they exited the room, laughing at their enjoyment of taunting Spike. Drusilla giggled and danced after them, humming along to a tune only she could hear. Spike stared after them until the door closed, when he let out a furious roar and turned over the ornate desk in his anger.  
  
That had been just about two hours ago, and now Spike was heading across the fields towards the small town, still fuming. He didn't notice that someone was heading towards him until they gave a small wave and a smile. He looked directly at them then- just a normal middle-aged man heading home after a long day's work.  
  
"Good evenin' to yer, sir." the man offered cheerily. Spike finally snapped, vamping out and lunging to snap the man's neck before he could even yell out in surprise. The vampire grinned down through his fangs at the stranger's contorted body, chuckling at the frozen expression of horrified shock on the old weathered face.  
  
"Yes," he said out loud, glancing up at the town nearby. "I think this could well be a good evening." Laughing to himself, he allowed his features to slip back to human mode and carried on.  
  
The town was smaller than he had at first suspected, and it didn't take him very long to locate the only inn in the place. Every sense alert for a possibility, he stepped into the building, growing immediately disappointed at the relatively peaceful air. It was nothing compared to the public houses he was used to in the big cities. No, this place was just offering a few groups of older men drinking away their wages. No raucous singing, no fights. Too dull for his liking.  
  
Inwardly, he groaned. Just his luck. Perhaps things would grow more hopeful as the evening wore on, but he wasn't really one for such optimism.  
  
Until he heard the laugh.  
  
It was high and musical, and could only have belonged to a woman. A young woman, by the sounds of it, and it had come from behind him. He turned immediately.  
  
Seated at a table by the door, which had previously been shielded from his view, were four young people aged between about eighteen and twenty or so, two men and two women. The laughter was from a very pretty girl with long black hair. A man who must have been a relation of hers, seen by the extreme similarities between their features, grinned and placed an arm lightly over the shoulders of a slim blonde woman, who was smiling and talking animatedly with a tall redhaired man.  
  
Well, Spike thought, there's not reallly any other hope in this dump...  
  
He walked over to the table.  
  
"What's all the celebration about then?" he asked in the friendliest tone he could manage. They all instantly looked around, faces shining with an intense happiness that sickened him to his very core.  
  
"My brother and Emily have just got engaged!" the dark haired girl explained happily. The man in question grinned wider and the blonde girl blushed slightly, smiling also.  
  
"Why don't you join us?" said the dark haired man. Spike shrugged, reminding himself that these might well be his only hope as he replied in the positive and pulled up a chair. Both men shook his hand before the redhaired one rose to get him a drink.  
  
"Congratulations then." Spike said. The blonde girl giggled and blushed a bit more.  
  
"Thank you very much." she replied. "I don't believe we know your name yet?"  
  
"William." The Bloody, he added mentally. The redhead had returned by this time and placed a drink down in front of Spike, which he gratefully gulped from. Nothing like good alcohol after a murder to relieve your stress.  
  
"Emily's name you know already." the dark girl told him. "My brother is Thomas, and this here is Alfie."  
  
"And what's your name?" Spike asked. She cocked her head slightly and smiled sweetly, looking up at him with dark blue eyes.  
  
"Laurel." was the answer.  
  
The evening wore on, filled with chatter about recent local events, in which Spike feigned an interest, as well as the main topic of Thomas and Emily's wedding arrangements. However, he was calculating a plan right in the back of his mind, figuring out possible childeren, analysing each one.  
  
Laurel was the prettier of the two girls, with an innocent beauty that could easily rival Darla's or Drusilla's, as well as holding a tantalizing pure aura which only made her interest in Spike even more amusing to him. Thomas, her brother, was quite obviously physically powerful- although Spike doubted him to be an equal match- and the clearly strong relationship he had with his sister made Spike wonder- wonder how it would be affected by death. Alfie said little, giving Spike no reason to pay heed to him, and Emily was too involved in Thomas for his taste.  
  
The evening there ended relatively early and the five of them walked out of the inn together. Alfie was the first to leave, and Thomas volunteered to walk Emily home, dropping Laurel off at their house on the way. At the last minute, however, she turned to Spike and said, "William, you said earlier that you were staying nearby with friends?"  
  
Spike racked his mind, then remembered that that was indeed the lie he had spun out. "Yes, so I did. Why, what is it Laurel?"  
  
"I, um..." She cast her eyes down, and Spike knew that society's rules wouldn't allow her to ask anything bold. "I was, um, merely wondering how long you might be staying in our village?" Then, hurriedly, she added, "If my question offends, please do not feel that you have to ans-"  
  
"It's alright." He laughed gently. "Why should it offend me? I am not too sure though- a few weeks perhaps. However," He leant closer at this point to whisper in her ear. "I should very much like to see you around." Then he pulled back and straightened, smirking inwardly at the sight of Laurel's flushed cheeks and happy eyes.  
  
"Oh, yes, I would very much like to see you as well." She broke out another bright smile. "I have enjoyed this evening so much..."  
  
Spike grinned. "Me too. But," He glanced over her shoulder at Thomas and Emily, waiting a short way off. "Perhaps we had better part now? I wouldn't like to hold you or Thomas or Emily up. It is very late, after all."  
  
"Oh yes! Well..." She hesitated. "I hope to see you again soon, William."  
  
"And I you, Laurel." With that, he retreated into the shadow, unnoticed as he grinned maliciously at three forms walking away, whispering softly, "Perhaps sooner than you think..."  
  
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"So then what happened?"  
  
Spike tossed away the end of his tenth cigarette and looked at the interrupting Slayer with a small, scornful laugh.  
  
"Pretty damn obvious, ain't it love? If they're here over a hundred years later, what d'you THINK happened?" he said sarcastically. Gracia broke the gaze first, looking away and hugging her elbows with an unusually sad expression on her face. There was a long silence before she stood up abruptly.  
  
"Gracey?" Angel's eyes snapped round immediately at the scraping of the chair. Gracia gestured and gave a small, forced laugh.  
  
"I'd really better patrol. If that's all..." She raised her eyebrows at Spike, who just lit up another cigarette in reply. Gracia sighed and moved away from the table, towards the weapons closet at the very far end of the room. She opened it up and dug out a few stakes, some holy water and a crucifix.  
  
"Luke, Keisha, are you coming as well?" she asked. Luke removed his thoughtful eyes from Spike to glance over and nod; Keisha took hers from Angel to reply, "Yeah."  
  
Gracia moved over to hand out weapons to the twins, her brother and her Watcher, before saying, "Let's split into teams and check out different sections. Apparently, there could be some new risers."  
  
They all began to move out as Spike removed his feet from the table and stood up, making his way to the exit as well. He paused, however, placing a hand on the shoulder of the Slayer's brunette friend, causing her to jump and whirl round.  
  
"Hey, easy there pet!" Spike said, holding his hands up in defence against the crucifix she was weilding. She lowered it and blushed, mumbling an apology. Spike grinned and glanced at Angel, who hadn't noticed, just as she did. Their eyes met again.  
  
"You like him, huh?" Well, that was direct.  
  
Her eyes grew wide, very much like a deer caught in the headlights, and she began to stammer denials. "N-not how you mean, I-I...as a f-friend, y-yeah, but..."  
  
He clapped her shoulder lightly and laughed. "Sorry pet, you don't stand a chance. The poofter only goes for blondes."  
  
He carried on out of the door, leaving Keisha staring after him in wide-eyed disbelief and hurt. He snickered quietly to himself and descended the steps outside of the school to head in the opposite direction to the Slayer and her allies. But Gracia hung back from the rest of the group and lay a hand on his arm. Now it was his turn to whirl round sharply, seeing the girl watching him carefully, folding her arms.  
  
"Bloody hell pet, I can only die once y'know!"  
  
She chuckled slightly, looking away again briefly, before saying, "I just wanted to tell you...thanks. For coming here to talk to us about Laurel and Thomas."  
  
He sneered, not really appreciateing what she was saying. "Whatever, Slayer. I didn't do this for you."  
  
She shrugged. "I know. But...thank you." He turned and carried on walking away from her, unprepared for her next sudden words.  
  
"Even if you DID act like a complete asshole the entire time."  
  
He looked back in shock, gawping at her. "Did you just-"  
  
The Slayer laughed as she walked back to her friends unhurriedly, leaving him to stare.   
  
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Heh, go Gracia!  
  
FanFeak, in reply to your questions: Yes, we do all love Spike. Lol. Oh, and no, I don't think Thomas would appreciate being called 'Tommy'. Although he refers to his sisters as 'Laurie' so she doesn't mind that. Oh, and I did hear about Angelus's (ahem) little visit to Ats...my response was also yay, cause Angelus rocks! Unfortunately, I only have terrestrial, so I haven't been able to see any yet. Grr! **shakes fist at tv**  
  
Uh, anyways, review please! If you are reading this and haven't reviewed, please, please do! I value your opinions! 


	11. Accidental

A/N: I have been inspired to write once more! Hallelujah! **grins** I haven't updated for several reasons...firstly, I wasn't sure anyone was reading this. Secondly, I've not been on the internet in ages. And thirdly, I've had terrible writer's block. Those are my excuses...please forgive me.  
  
Disclaimer: Hmm, what do I own? Well...some of the plots and characters, a shiny (relatively) new PS2 (Yippee!), the Cult of Vincent Valentine, and half of Silvermoon's brain. Heheheh, so...don't sue.  
  
Dedication: The brilliant people who encouraged me to get up off my lazy backside and get typing again. **raises glass** You guys rock!  
  
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Keisha looked at what she held in her hands.   
  
A solution. A possible solution to a problem that had been eating away at her mind since the night before. And maybe, if she used it...things could be OK. She hoped so. It'd been a while since she'd felt in control of her thoughts and feelings, and to get them back on track seemed to be a good plan.  
  
Still...there were other things to do at the moment. Like find another solution, this time to the problem of what might be lurking in the school store cupboard. So carrying out this plan would have to wait.  
  
She put the object deep into the back of the bathroom cabinet, shut the door of it and walked out across to her bedroom, which was strewn with all of the texts that she'd 'borrowed' from the library. She thought she may have started to find something.  
  
Two solutions in one day. Not bad going for a sleep-deprived, caffeine-driven teenager.  
  
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Gracia was starting to get sick of this.  
  
She'd been out almost all of last night and had been out this night since sunset- a good few hours. She was tired, cold, and not a little fed up. More than anything, she wished she had someone to talk to, but Luke was helping Giles research Laurel and Thomas in the library, and Keisha had had to go home, saying that she hadn't been feeling too great. Gracia didn't mind, but she did wish Angel was with her. Or maybe even someone else...  
  
She sighed irritably, pulling her jacket tighter about herself and picking her way through the gravestones. This was the third cemetary she'd visited tonight- no sign of anything. Perhaps the vampires were laying low, after the run-in she and Angel had had with Laurel. That would make sense, she supposed, but from what she had heard, Spike's childeren didn't seem to fear Slayers. And Laurel had definitely seemed much more put out by Angel than by her.  
  
Suddenly, the slightest movement in the shadows nearby caught her eye. One thought flitted through her mind: Oh, at last, some action. Thank you, Powers.  
  
She didn't adjust her pace, carried on walking as though she hadn't noticed, but let her arms uncurl to hang loosely at her sides. She could feel herself being watched now, and could almost hear the footsteps behind her, although she knew the person, or whatever they were, was there. There, and starting to walk faster to catch her up. She forced herself to keep her eyes forward and her pace at a leisurely stroll.   
  
Then a hand reached out to grab her shoulder. That was all the encouragement she needed. She grabbed the thing's wrist, using all of her focused strength on flipping them up and over herself to land on their back on the ground. Hard. Whoever or whatever it was yelled out as their head cracked against a gravestone, and she used that moment to whip out a stake and kneel on them to prevent them getting up, sharp wooden end digging into their chest. Then she blinked as realisation dawned.  
  
"What d'you think you're doing, you crazy bint?" Spike demanded, trying his best to sit up, one hand going to the back of his head, where it was likely he had quite a bruise currently forming. Gracia blinked again, then pulled herself off of him to stand in one fluid motion. Sheathing the stake, she offered a hand.  
  
"Sorry." She shrugged. "Perhaps it's about time you realised that sneaking up on a Slayer like that isn't a good idea."  
  
Spike snorted, rising without her assitance, left hand still clamped to the back of his head. "Like you could do any real damage to me. You're the fourth Slayer I've met, and you're really no match yet." He let go of his head and examined his hand, a look of pain flitting across his face briefly before he dropped it.  
  
Gracia raised her eyebrows. What had she expected from him but biting insults and sarcasm? Ignoring the ideas that an annoying little voice threatened to whisper into her mind, she turned her back on him and walked a few steps away. He laughed.  
  
"What, got nothing to say to me pet?"  
  
She whirled around, folding her arms across her chest as she did so, and narrowed her eyes. You think you've seen me angry, Spike? she thought. Wow, are you in for a surprise...  
  
"You're right. I have nothing to say to arrogant mercenaries like you. Go back to your crypt, and preferably sleep a few centuries, for the sake of all humanity." The quick flicker of surprise across his face made her smirk. "What's the matter? Didn't think I could answer back?" She turned again and walked off.  
  
But obviously, Spike's pride wouldn't allow her to have the last word, and so he set off after her, covering the distance between them in a few long strides.  
  
"You know what, Slayer?" he started. "You think WAY to much of yourself."  
  
She snorted. "That's rich, coming from you, Spike."  
  
He continued. "You think just because you got rid of that cult a while back that you can take anything fate throws at you. Well, let me tell you this, love- I KNOW the way a Slayer's mind works. All you do is crave death- no matter how much you deny it to yourself or to anyone else, that's all you really want."  
  
"And this from a drunken neutered vampire who doesn't have a braincell to spare." Gracia knew she was just shooting the first insult that came to mind. "I don't even know why I'm bothering to waste my time on you..."  
  
"Well, maybe you should leave!" Spike snarled, halting and rounding on her. "I never asked you to come patrolling!"  
  
"Uh, hello?" Gracia stopped and raised her hand as though in class. "Slayer here. Kinda my job."  
  
"Go somewhere else then!" Spike stepped a little closer to her.  
  
She did likewise. "You can't tell me what to do."  
  
"I can and I did." He leaned down slightly. She titlted her face up towards his, expression one of annoyance.  
  
"Doesn't mean I'll listen."  
  
Their eyes locked. Spike's face began to shift in confusion at the deep brown of her gaze. Gracia felt like she was drowning in pale blue.  
  
His voice was soft and deadly as he spoke.  
  
"Maybe I'll have to make you."  
  
With all his vampiric reflexes, he moved almost at light speed. Gracia didn't realise what was happening until she felt him grip her arms in a vice-like hold and roughly pull her closer, crushing his mouth against hers. For a stunned second she just didn't register, until she wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him even closer to her.  
  
And then, after less than a minute, they both realised exactly WHERE they were, WHO they were, and WHAT they were doing.  
  
Needless to say, they leapt apart pretty fast, staring at each other in wide-eyes shock and breathing heavily.. after a long moment, Gracia broke the silence unsteadily.  
  
"I...you're...I mean, we're...I should go."  
  
Before Spike could Say anything, Gracia had fled, leaving him standing exactly where he was, capable of only one thought.  
  
What the HELL just happened?!  
  
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And I hope some of you found that amusing. ;-D Anyways, review please!   
  
A few side notes to my deranged friend (you know who you are):  
  
1. It was a typo, ya perv! What, you wanna edit the entire chapter for me? Oh wait, bad idea- I doubt you'd be able to write anything rated less than R. YOU'RE the smut writer here, not me!  
  
2. No. No. And no.  
  
3. First name that came to mind. Aw, c'mon, I mean, Luke was only named after I rushed up to someone and asked for the first guy's name that came to mind! So for a random character, I just got the first name that I remembered. Yeesh...at least I changed the subject he teaches! 


	12. Plan

A/N: Well, I thought it was about time we were updated on what's going on behind the other lines...  
  
Disclaimer: Bored now.  
  
Dedication: This is for all my real friends, who have stuck by me throughout the good times, the bad times, and the just plain weird times! Hope you like this, although only one of you is reading! lol  
  
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Thomas gave an enraged yell and pounded his fist into the wall again, achieving in creating a third hole in the wood pannelling and spraying more of the stone floor with splinters. He grit his teeth against the pain, ommiting only a low growl through his fangs.  
  
  
  
Laurel raised her eyebrows from where she sat watching at the large oak table. "If you're QUITE finished beating the crap out of the wall, maybe we can sit down and discuss a sensible plan...?"  
  
With another growl, Thomas wrenched his fist from the wood and whirled round to face his sister, still in full vamp mode. He glared at the hench vampires lining the walls, faces frozen in fearful impassiveness, as he walked over to seat himself across from her. His left hand was clamped over the fist he had made from his right, attempting to staunch the flow of blood from the cut and bruising flesh. Laurel nodded towards it.  
  
  
  
"You'll need something for that." she said matter-of-factly, and motioned to one of the vampires standing to attention. Thomas scowled at her, replying through gritted teeth, "I'm fine."  
  
Laurel knew full well that half of the tone in his voice was due to stubborn annoyance at her, but she chose to ignore it. "Well, if you wouldn't insist on destroying every place we live in whenever you get annoyed..."  
  
He smirked a bit then. "You still haven't forgiven me for torching that house in France yet, have you?"  
  
She raised her eyebrows and replied with a slight laughing tone, "When we had to live in the sewers for a month until we could get a boat out to England? No, you're right, I haven't."  
  
He laughed. "Ninety years and still no? You sure do hold grudges when you want to, Laurie..." She joined in with his laughter.  
  
At that point, a slender blonde vampiress made her way back into the room, carrying a bowl of water and a cloth, which she set on the table as she knelt beside Thomas. Wringing out the cloth in it, she began to wipe both the new and drying blood from his hand. Thomas kept his eyes on Laurel.  
  
"Don't know why you bother, Laurie." he said. "It'll all be healed in a day or so anyway."   
  
She shrugged. "Hey, if we're going after that damn Sire of ours, we'll need to be as healthy as possible, right?" She smirked when he didn't answer. "So...ideas. How would you like to see him die? Sunlight? A good old-fashioned stake? Or..." A sinister grin appeared on her lips as her eyes became dreamy. "How does torture sound."  
  
"Very appealing." Thomas replied, causing more laughter.  
  
"Well," Laurel said eventually, "Spike is second on our list. First up, the Slayer."  
  
  
  
Thomas wasn't really listening, and the obviousness of it irritated Laurel. He was far for absorbed in the seductive looks the vampiress tending to his hand kept giving him. Laurel cleared her throat and glared at the blonde.  
  
"If you're QUITE finished, Helena, we have matters to discuss. Please clear up." She said acidly. Thomas, taking this obvious hint, paid her no more attention, and the vampiress sulked away to clear everything up as instructed.   
  
"Yes, the Slayer..." Thomas said. "Well, as you know, I put out a few people to investigate..." He snapped his fingers. "Leo...report."  
  
  
  
A tall, muscular vampire stepped forward, grinning wickedly. Laurel regarded him in an almost bored manner, and prompted, "Yes?"  
  
"I've been watching the Slayer as you've instructed, sir." he started. "I've noticed that she appears to 'ang around with certain people a lot. In the local nightclub, I've seen her three times in four nights there, and every time she was with a blonde boy, and sometimes another girl as well. I've also seen her walkin' home with the same pair, although the second girl isn't always present."  
  
"Hmm, a boy, eh?" Laurel remarked, then turned to Thomas with a wicked glint in her dark blue eyes. "A boyfriend, you suppose?"  
  
"I don't think so, ma'am." Leo interrupted, earning a cold glare from Laurel.  
  
"Oh yes?" she replied icily. "Why would that be?"  
  
"Because I saw her last night." Leo lowered his voice slightly and leaned in. "She was in the Haywood Cemetary with a different guy...a VAMPIRE, he was, wearing all black, with his hair all bleached..." Grinning slightly when he saw that he had both the twins' undivided attention, he continued, "Well, they were arguing at first, and I was hidden well, they didn't see me...and I was wondering why she wouldn't just stake 'im, like I thought she would. Then I knew why. Suddenly, they're makin' out like there's no tomorrow!"  
  
Laurel was standing in an instant, and slapped him viciously across the cheek. He stumbled back, his fear all too obvious as he watched her slip into her full vampiric mask.  
  
"Liar!" she hissed. "Bite your tongue! That's not possible!"  
  
"Laurie..." Thomas stood also, placing a pacifying hand on his sister's shoulder. Fixing his own golden orbs on the hench vampire, he said, "Is that all, Leo? Do you know this vampire?"  
  
The terrified vampire shook his head quickly. "N-not quite, sir. W-well, suddenly, she pushes him away and runs off, just leaves 'im standin' there. An'...an' I don' know 'im, but I think she called 'im Spike."  
  
Laurel hissed again. "If you're lying to make a good bit of gossip, Leo..."  
  
The vampire raised his hands quickly in a surrendering gesture. "I'm not, ma'am! I swear!"  
  
"Good." Laurel said in a sickly sweet voice, her pretty human face re-emerging once more. "You may fall back."  
  
  
  
Gratefully, Leo stumbled back into line, trying to regain his lost swagger. With a small glance at her brother, Laurel slipped back into her chair, the sinister grin playing once more across her lips. Thomas also sat, a similar smirk appearing.  
  
"Well..." Laurel said slowly, enjoying every minute of this new revelation. "Well, well...I always knew he had a thing for Slayers, but this..."  
  
Thomas laughed jovially, which looked very strange coming from the face of a brutal demon. "Don't blame him myself. She's a pretty little thing, but I wouldn't bother risking myself just for a kiss. Now if she was one of us... well..." He chuckled again.  
  
"Well, maybe you can get your wish." Laurel mused outloud. Her grin widened as she caught his questioning look. "The Slayer seems to be the key to a chain reaction. Hurt her, and both Angelus and Spike will get hurt."  
  
"And a lasting way of doing that..." Thomas said slowly.  
  
"Would be to turn her." Laurel nodded. "But that could backfire. Especially if it'd just make it easier for both of those two bastards."  
  
Thomas looked thoughtful. "How about...we Sire her...then stake her. That way, we get our usage out of her being turned, then get more over them by destroying her."  
  
Laurel regarded him seriously for a long moment, then her face broke into a beautiful, evil smile. "You know..." she said thoughtfully. "That's just what I was thinking."  
  
They both laughed once more.  
  
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Whoo...evil...lol. More soon, hopefully! 


	13. Discovery

A/N: Yay! I'm on a roll! Whatever. Heheh. Oh yeah, just before I get a truckload of complaints, I'd just like to clarify that I have NOT, I repeat NOT, seen season 7 or the vast majority of season 6 of Buffy. THEREFORE, some facts are not completely canon, but then they haven't been since the beginning of Second Chance, so...lol. If it causes you major grief, just quit now. **half the readers exit** Aw, shoot...  
  
Disclaimer: What d'ya think I am, a freakin' broken record? Some things mine. Some things not. YOU NO SUE!...OK?  
  
Dedication: Again, to my friends- love yas all (PLATONICALLY, contrary to, for some reason, popular belief!), despite the fact that my life has spiralled into new depths of insanity and disturbingness over the past fortnight or so! Heheh.  
  
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Luke sat in the Library by himself, humming some random tune as he kicked his heels up onto the table and picked up one of the books he'd found in Giles's collection on various renowned vampires. There was still about quarter of an hour or so until morning registration, and he was just wondering when someone would show up when the door swung open, briefly increasing the level of noise seeping through from the busy corridor. He turned round from flicking idly through the pages to grin at Gracia as she hurried over and hopped up to sit on the desk, facing him with her feet on the chair next to him.  
  
"Hey there." he said. "What's with the big long silence all weekend?"  
  
Gracia blinked, then realised that she hadn't phoned or met up with the twins at all over the past two days. In fact, she'd spent a lot of her time trying to distract her mind from the events of Friday night, and her...meeting with a certain vampire...  
  
She slapped herself on the forehead to halt her tain of thought, earning a slightly weird look from her friend.  
  
"Oh, that." She groaned. "Sorry, I was really busy all weekend..."  
  
He shrugged nonchalantly. "No biggie. Just wondering."  
  
Gracia looked around, a slight frown creasing her face as she asked, "Hey, where's Keisha?"  
  
Luke shrugged. "Not sure...I haven't actually seen her since last night. I tried to get her out of her room to walk to school, but she didn't even open the door. Said she'd catch up with me." He flicked a couple more pages, glancing at various chunks of tiny text and photos of vampires and victims. "Probably worrying about what to wear." He grinned mischeviously up at Gracia. "You know how your gender are when it comes to that."  
  
"Whatever..." was all he got in reply, and at the lack of her usual sarcasm or banter, he frowned, now getting increasingly worried as she stared off into space.  
  
"Hey, you OK?" When she didn't reply, he brought his legs down so he could lean forward and touch her arm. She jumped what seemed at least three feet and whirled around, face a mask of wide-eyed shock, relaxing slightly when she realised it was just him. His frown increased as he continued, "Man, you're real jumpy today. Everything alright?"  
  
Her face hardened into something that looked like...defensiveness?  
  
"Of course it is!" she rushed, seeming a little annoyed. "Why wouldn't it be? Everything's just fine." She laughed, but it came out nervously.  
  
Luke sighed, taking his hand off her arm. Girls were weird at the best of times, he decided, even if his two best friends were both of that gender. Resuming the flicking of the pages of the book, he said, "Well, if you're sure..."  
  
"Of course I'm sure!" she half-snapped, then groaned again. "Sorry, didn't mean to have a go there..."  
  
"Nah, 'sOK. I've suffered worse wraths than yours, Miss Slayer." He grinned at her and they both laughed, although this time not nervously.  
  
The door opened yet again to another burst of noise, and they both looked round to see Keisha walking in in a manner which made it seem as though she didn't want to be noticed. Gracia exchanged a look with Luke, and raised her eyebrows at the wide-brimmed denim hat which the brunette was wearing. All of her hair had been pulled up under it so that none of it was visible.  
  
"Hi there." was all she said however, moving her feet to allow her friend to slip into the chair there. With a hint of a tiny smile, Keisha sat down and replied, "Hey."  
  
Another look flitted between Luke and Gracia before Luke asked, "So, what took you so long?"  
  
"I...um...uhh..." Keisha still wasn't meeting either of their gazes. "Couldn't find my hat..."  
  
"What's with that anyways?" the Slayer questioned, gesturing towards it, narrowing her eyes as Keisha's head drooped lower. "Keisha? What's wrong?"  
  
A pair of green-blue eyes snapped up, darting inbetween them as she hesitantly spoke, "OK...I'll show you...but no teasing me...or blackmailing, Luke!"  
  
"Why'd you wanna blackmail me anyways?" her brother quipped, but shut up promptly at her glare. "OK, OK! Yeesh...no blackmail! I get the point!" He held up his hands in a gesture of surrender.  
  
"OK..." Keisha heaved a couple of nervous breaths, then slowly reached up and pulled the hat off. The two pairs of eyes watching her flew wider in complete shock.   
  
"Oh my god!" Gracia rushed, slapping a hand over her mouth. Keisha gave her a truly depressed look and made to shove the hat back on, but Luke suddenly grabbed her wrist and stopped her, not tearing his stunned expression away from her hair.  
  
It was pulled back into a knot with the help of a few bands and clips in order to keep it up under the hat. True, she didn't normally wear it like that, but that wasn't the surprising thing.   
  
No, the surprising thing was that it was orange. Bright orange.  
  
Keisha wrenched her arm from Luke's grasp and quickly covered up her hair again, with a look that made it seem like the Apocalypse had come early. This snapped him out of his trance enough to blink a few times and say, "Jesus, Keish, what HAPPENED?"  
  
"I tried to dye my hair, OK!" Keisha hugged her bag close and wouldn't meet their eyes again. Gracia tried to lean down to meet her gaze.  
  
"What colour?" she asked gently. Keisha's reply was a mumble so low that Gracia had to ask, "Sorry, I can't hear you. Can you...repeat it?"  
  
Keisha seemed verging on hysterical as she burst out, "Blonde! You heard that?"  
  
"Hey, hey!" Gracia said, bending to put a comforting arm around her friend's shoulders. Keisha sighed heavily and rubbed her forehead as the dark girl continued, "It's not...that bad."   
  
"Yes it is!" Neither of them had ever seen her get so worked up about her appearance, or...well, anything, for that matter. It just wasn't in her nature. "Look at me...I'm a freak show..." she mumbled.  
  
"Well, umm..." Luke started, trying to be comforting. "At least, umm...it's not permanent. Right?"  
  
"Semi-permanent." She groaned. "Six to eight washes, the bottle said. But it didn't all come out last night, so I've gotta keep washing it tonight."  
  
Gracia considered for a moment, then said, "Hey, look. I'm sure you only think it's so bad because you're scraping it all back like that. Let's go to the toilets before registration, and I'll try to help you, OK?"  
  
"What if Bridget's there?" Keisha protested weakly. "I can't have her seeing me like this..."  
  
"Well, we'll find one where she isn't, OK?" Gracia slipped off the table, heaving her bag up over her shoulder. "Come on."  
  
"Oh, ditch me then if I'm not good enough to be seen with." Luke accused them playfully as Keisha stood. Gracia grinned at him.  
  
"Unless you wanna come with, of course?" she offered. Luke pretended to consider the offer, then shook his head.  
  
"Sorry, I have a slight hunch I would be...less than welcome among some of the other students in your destination."  
  
Gracia laughed and shook her head. "Wow, that sounded smart." As soon as a proud look crossed his face, she added, "At least you're convincing."  
  
"Hey!" Luke tried to follow it back to find out whether it was a compliment or an insult, then gave up with a grin.   
  
"See you in registration then." Gracia added quickly, turning back round and taking Keisha's arm gently to steer her towards the door. Just as they neared it, Giles entered, expression becoming perplexed at the sight of the two girls leaving. "Hey Giles."  
  
"Hello..." Giles frowned after them as they exited, then looked over at Luke. "Where are they off to?"  
  
Luke shrugged, turning back to the book he was boredly flicking through. "Keisha's just having something of a crisis. Girl stuff, y'know."  
  
Giles seemed about to ask further, wisely decided better of it and made his way over to his office with a slight sigh. He'd been up until the early hours of the morning after a weekend of little rest, searching over and over again for any backround information on the vampires, or any sign of what their next actions might be, but to no avail. It was all part of being a Watcher, after all, but still...he decided he was out of practice at the whole 'being in charge of an active Slayer' thing.  
  
Luke continued to turn some pages, skimming some and completely ignoring others. Study was bad enough, but to be researching voluntarily...he shook his head. Man, he needed to get more of a social life!  
  
Something suddenly caught his eye, and made him halt his continuous flicking of pages to turn back to it. It was a large copy of an old, slightly grainy black-and-white photograph, and he frowned closer at it.   
  
A man and a woman, somewhere near or in middle-age, were seated in two chairs, turned a little towards each other. A young girl with light hair, no more than about nine or ten, knelt in between and slightly in front of them. There were two other people in the picture, teenagers of around seventeen, a boy and a girl. The boy stood behind his father's chair, dressed neatly and standing straight. The girl was next to him, behind her mother, wearing a long dress which seemed to be of a Victorian fashion and a small smile. They both looked quite alike, with black hair and eyes which were probably, Luke decided, nearly as dark, although it was obviously difficult to tell in such a picture. Then he noticed a small line underneath the picture, and squinted at the small text to read:  
  
"Thomas Gainsborough, back row, far left, and Laurel Gainsborough, back row, far right, with family (photograph dated approximately 1885)."  
  
About a side of text lay opposite the picture.  
  
"Giles!" Luke called, a type of excitement coursing through him. "Hey, Giles! I think I've found something!"  
  
Finally- perhaps no more reasearch!  
  
Giles hurried out of his office, face showing his obvious confusion- it seemed to be a common thing for him now, especially on Monday mornings.  
  
"What is it?" He walked over to Luke's side, adjusting his glasses to peer over the blonde boy's shoulder at the picture he was enthusiastically gesturing to.  
  
"This! I think this may be them..."  
  
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Gracia finished the thin braid she had plaited and smiled encouraginaly at Keisha as the girl replaced her hat and glanced in the mirror. To her surprise, it really didn't seem as bad as it had at first- true, her hair had become bright orange, but at least it didn't look as severe as scraping it all back had done. Gracia had given her a small plait on either side at the front and had restyled her hair into a ponytail with some bits escaping so that her face looked 'softer'. And with her hat on, the colour of it wasn't initially all that noticeable.  
  
"See?" Gracia said. "Not so bad, huh?"  
  
"No..." Keisha smiled and turned to hug her friend. "Thanks so much."  
  
"No problem." Gracia laughed, hugging her back quickly before drawing away. "But...Keisha..."  
  
"Yes?" Keisha frowned.  
  
"Why DID you dye your hair?"  
  
Keisha froze, insides turning to ice. Just the question she'd hoped to avoid...  
  
After a slight pause, she gave a laugh and said, "Dunno really. Wanted a change?"  
  
Gracia didn't seem all that convinced, but replied, "OK then. If you're sure."  
  
"Uh huh. Hey, we'd better go. The bell's due anytime soon."  
  
"Yeah, guess so..." Gracia picked up her back and made to leave, but then halted and looked back. "But, Keisha, just remember...if whoever he is doesn't like you for you...that's his problem, not yours. Dpn't go changing yourself for someone. It's not worth it."  
  
Keisha stuttered, eyes wide in shock. "But...b-but I w-wasn't..."  
  
Gracia laughed again. "Sure. C'mon, let's get going."   
  
The two girls left the toilets and headed towards their registration room, Keisha still reeling from her friend's unwitting perception.  
  
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Giles studied the picture with its caption, quickly skimmed some of the tiny text on the next page, and finally lfted the book from Luke to get a closer look. Eventually, he looked up.  
  
"Luke...I think you're right."  
  
Luke grinned as Giles continued to read, although he could almost hear Gracia adding in, "First time for everything."  
  
Giles looked back up, removing his glasses as he did so and shut the book on his finger in order to keep the place.  
  
"We'd better get Gracia and Angel to look at this."  
  
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Well, with any luck, I may get a couple of reviews for this...**grim smile, crosses fingers** Here's to hoping. 


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